YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

Austin's favorite part of our camping trip --hands down, was the waterfall.  Even before this trip he's been obsessed with waterfalls. Everything is a waterfall to Austin, especially peeing   Petit Jean has a pretty impressive waterfall you can hike down to or view from an observation deck.  I chose the observation deck as it was handicap accessible.  Austin couldn't get enough of it.  On day two he asked me over and over again if we could go see the waterfall.

 

I promised him we will go back to see the waterfall again even though it was inconvenient at the time. (Never forget this ok Austin?)   It was clear that this was important to him.  As soon as we got out of the van, Austin was raring to go.  I told him he could go a little ways ahead as long as he would stop when I yelled to him.   I figured if he got too far away and wouldn't stop I'd just send Jack down to tackle him. Jack can catch him. He's fast.

 

We were super slow going down the path since Brady wanted to walk. Austin had a walking stick ($9.99 at the lodge) we bought for Ty. Whenever anyone came up to us and was about to pass us on the path, Austin held the stick, posed and gave them the bravest, most daring face he could muster. (I was afraid.)   He did the same thing even before he got the stick, only he laid on the ground with his arms and legs spread wide and held them up off the ground, looking daringly into the eyes of whomever considered passing.  He was as still as a statue till the hikers had all shuffled past.    Reminded me of the part from Lord of the Rings where Gandolph yells "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!!" I wished Austin had seen the movie so he then could have quoted it right then.