Things I thought my toddler would love about going to the sugar shack:

1) Seeing his friend—this outing was a sugar-shack play date;

2) Maple syrup—who doesn't love maple syrup;

3) Pancakes—he asks for them almost daily;

4) The wagon ride—anything with wheels is a hit.

What my toddler loved about going to the sugar shack:

1) Seeing his friend;

2) Climbing rocks—Daddy cheered him on and I plastered a smile on my face while trying not to imagine Kiddo face planting into a pointy piece of limestone and knocking out half of his teeth (I want my child to climb. It's good for balance, strength, and confidence. But it's best if I'm not there to watch.);

3) Climbing stairs...so many stairs;

4) Running around the grass waiting for the wagon.

He took two bites of his pancake then bolted from the table.

He did love the wagon ride, so much so that getting off the wagon (specifically the one bringing us back to the parking lot) was a tragedy-level event.

In fact, the actual sugar shack could have not been there at all and it would have been all the same to Kiddo. Maybe next year we’ll make maple taffy on the snow in our own backyard, then go climb some rocks😬