Climbing by the Sea

It's day two in Mallorca, and we piled all four kids and all four adults in our Sixt mini-van, and headed off for family climbing day by the beach. The hourlong car ride was accompanied by a fair amount of pushing and shoving and "how much longer?" in the way back. Peter at some point took a choke hold on the shoulder strap of my seat belt, at which point I found myself in the unenviable position of having to discipline my son in front of seven pair of eyes. Ugh. I'm convinced he just loves to put me on the spot. Is it cocktail hour yet?

I told Timi to pull over and everybody watched and waited to see how the standoff would proceed. I channeled my inner Siyon, and somehow calmly convinced five little fingers to release their clutch on my belt. Timi put the car in drive and we were back on the road.

We parked, and all the boys trudged ahead to the climbing area. Whoops, they forgot to clue Donna, Ella and me in on the directions. Michael returned to escort us the remaining 15 minutes through some brambles and along a soggy riverbed to this crag...

...here. Now I know why I haven't given up climbing yet.

The kids immediately strip to their skivvies and go for a wade in the tide pool.

Ella returns an errant ball.

Parker tests the waters with his stick while I study the rock. Gorgeous.

Parker prickles his nose and sniffs the salt air. "We having fun Mama," he says. I couldn't agree more.

Ella and Simon look around the river bed for cool rocks. Ella spots an hefty white one full of intricate little crystals.

Peter contemplates his building materials.

Donna gets ready to climb her warm-up route, which will sub as an easy route for the kids too.

We meet Michael's new climbing friends from Germany (well do they still count as Germans if they've been living in sun-drenched Mallorca since 2001?). They've also towed in their kid plus a couple extras.

Donna is all grace on the warm-up route.

The kids fuel up before their climb.

Ella, Peter and Simon each take a turn on the rock, but let's face it, ropes and harnesses have tough competition from mother nature today.

Parker and Timi have a late-day siesta while Donna and I climb a steep but juggy route. Short, steep and easy, so I feel like a hero. Now that's just the way I like it.

'

While the kids get to work building the grill pit. Menu du jour: burgers and pork chops a la seaside.

For some reason tonight they were really into the idea of washing up for dinner.

That's me out there luring them in.

And here they come. The perfect ending to the perfect day. Well not quite. It's 4:30 and we still have to cook, eat, clean-up and hike out with all the kids, and all our gear before dark, (but then you knew that). Thank goodness for headlamps and phones.