After that last post, it’s a wonder I haven’t gotten emails asking if
we were eaten by bears last weekend. In fact, our camping trip went extremely well. We arrived just as it
got dark at the “campground” (read: just a giant field with some trees
nearby). Some folks from CootieBoy’s pack were already set up, and so
we quickly unloaded our car of all our junk and Denis set off to find
parking (in another nearby field with some trees nearby). I made quick work of setting up the tent – I was 75% done by the time
Denis managed to get back to the campsite. As Denis and I continued
to get things put away in the growing darkness, the kids had a blast
running around with their friends. CootieGirl was the only girl in
site, and didn’t care one little bit. That night we made S’mores, roasted marshmallows (or marsh-a-mellows,
as CootieBoy calls them), and I even managed to get some of that
JiffyPop popcorn to work over the campfire (although that is not
recommended on the container instructions – BUT IT WORKED!). After
spending two hours just RUNNING, the kids were exhausted and we put
them to bed in the tent. The adults stayed up a bit longer, and then,
bored out of my mind, I went to bed as well. Our new sleeping bags, which were touted as being zero-degree bags,
were AWESOME. I was warm all night long even though it got down to
the mid-20s that night. The only hitch in the night was that CB woke
up at 2:15 p.m. and had to go to the bathroom. He was panicking
because he didn’t want to pee on his sleeping bag, but he also refused
to go outside by himself. Too bad! Denis and I basically pushed him out of the tent and told him to pee
next to the tent. Yes, we’re those parents. So, barefooted,
practically naked (he refused to wear PJs, and standing on frozen
ground, CB relieved himself by the tent. And he wailed the whole
time. Loudly. To the point where we most likely woke up EVERYONE
within a 40 foot radius of our tent. When CB crawled back into the
tent, crying about the cold, Denis and I suddenly started giggling at
the ridiculousness of it all. And it was that forbidden giggling that
you do when you are in church, and you are TRYING to stay quiet, and
it’s not working. Eventually, we all fell back asleep, but then CB woke up at 5 a.m.
with the need to relieve himself again. He’s like a camel or
something. Holding all that water. We shoved him outside again, and
in the early twilight he once again made steaming patterns on the
frosty cold earth near our tent. It got so cold that the inside of our tent had frost on it.
Everything we left outside the tent was frozen solid. It was COLD. I got up around 6:15 a.m. and headed home to let Cooper out, and to
pick up more supplies (specifically, firewood, of which we had almost
run out the night before). I got back just in time for breakfast of
muffins and hot cocoa. Saturday was a full day – the kids each went on a hike, there were
lots of games of touch football, and tag, and CG was having a blast as
the only girl. Three little boys kept paying particular attention to
her. One kept chasing her and hugging her. Another one was from her
class at school and was a little cutie pie. The third hung out with
CB, but kept watch on CG throughout the day. She was loving every
minute of that attention. Somehow our tent because the “kid hangout tent” that day. I’d be in
there attempting to read my Kindle, and suddenly 5-6 kids would come
piling in, laughing and talking, and then they’d go out for another
round of whatever game they were playing at the time. Denis and I began debating whether we’d stay the second night of the
event. Most parents who had been there the night before were opting
to go home after the bonfire that night. In the end, that’s what we
decided to do as well. And it’s a good thing too, because around 8
p.m., after a day way more action-packed than he had had in a long
time, CB broke down – emotionally, mentally, physically. At the
bonfire he just sat in my lap in a daze, and when we began the walk
back to the campsite to get in the van to drive home he began crying
and said, “I MISS MY HOME!” Upon arriving home they both collapsed into bed, and Denis and I
followed a couple hours later. Did I enjoy camping? Don’t tell anyone, but I think I DID. We’re
planning on going again, just our family, in the spring when the
nights aren’t so cold. Hard to believe, but true!
we were eaten by bears last weekend. In fact, our camping trip went extremely well. We arrived just as it
got dark at the “campground” (read: just a giant field with some trees
nearby). Some folks from CootieBoy’s pack were already set up, and so
we quickly unloaded our car of all our junk and Denis set off to find
parking (in another nearby field with some trees nearby). I made quick work of setting up the tent – I was 75% done by the time
Denis managed to get back to the campsite. As Denis and I continued
to get things put away in the growing darkness, the kids had a blast
running around with their friends. CootieGirl was the only girl in
site, and didn’t care one little bit. That night we made S’mores, roasted marshmallows (or marsh-a-mellows,
as CootieBoy calls them), and I even managed to get some of that
JiffyPop popcorn to work over the campfire (although that is not
recommended on the container instructions – BUT IT WORKED!). After
spending two hours just RUNNING, the kids were exhausted and we put
them to bed in the tent. The adults stayed up a bit longer, and then,
bored out of my mind, I went to bed as well. Our new sleeping bags, which were touted as being zero-degree bags,
were AWESOME. I was warm all night long even though it got down to
the mid-20s that night. The only hitch in the night was that CB woke
up at 2:15 p.m. and had to go to the bathroom. He was panicking
because he didn’t want to pee on his sleeping bag, but he also refused
to go outside by himself. Too bad! Denis and I basically pushed him out of the tent and told him to pee
next to the tent. Yes, we’re those parents. So, barefooted,
practically naked (he refused to wear PJs, and standing on frozen
ground, CB relieved himself by the tent. And he wailed the whole
time. Loudly. To the point where we most likely woke up EVERYONE
within a 40 foot radius of our tent. When CB crawled back into the
tent, crying about the cold, Denis and I suddenly started giggling at
the ridiculousness of it all. And it was that forbidden giggling that
you do when you are in church, and you are TRYING to stay quiet, and
it’s not working. Eventually, we all fell back asleep, but then CB woke up at 5 a.m.
with the need to relieve himself again. He’s like a camel or
something. Holding all that water. We shoved him outside again, and
in the early twilight he once again made steaming patterns on the
frosty cold earth near our tent. It got so cold that the inside of our tent had frost on it.
Everything we left outside the tent was frozen solid. It was COLD. I got up around 6:15 a.m. and headed home to let Cooper out, and to
pick up more supplies (specifically, firewood, of which we had almost
run out the night before). I got back just in time for breakfast of
muffins and hot cocoa. Saturday was a full day – the kids each went on a hike, there were
lots of games of touch football, and tag, and CG was having a blast as
the only girl. Three little boys kept paying particular attention to
her. One kept chasing her and hugging her. Another one was from her
class at school and was a little cutie pie. The third hung out with
CB, but kept watch on CG throughout the day. She was loving every
minute of that attention. Somehow our tent because the “kid hangout tent” that day. I’d be in
there attempting to read my Kindle, and suddenly 5-6 kids would come
piling in, laughing and talking, and then they’d go out for another
round of whatever game they were playing at the time. Denis and I began debating whether we’d stay the second night of the
event. Most parents who had been there the night before were opting
to go home after the bonfire that night. In the end, that’s what we
decided to do as well. And it’s a good thing too, because around 8
p.m., after a day way more action-packed than he had had in a long
time, CB broke down – emotionally, mentally, physically. At the
bonfire he just sat in my lap in a daze, and when we began the walk
back to the campsite to get in the van to drive home he began crying
and said, “I MISS MY HOME!” Upon arriving home they both collapsed into bed, and Denis and I
followed a couple hours later. Did I enjoy camping? Don’t tell anyone, but I think I DID. We’re
planning on going again, just our family, in the spring when the
nights aren’t so cold. Hard to believe, but true!
Aw, little dude made it through! Good for him. It’ll get easier and more fun for him the more he does it. As for Cootiegirl, you are going to have to keep an eye on her!