My dear hubby, LT, enjoys camping as well, although being a Minnesota boy, he would take a nice cabin in the woods any day. But he also likes camping and backpacking, particularly if fly fishing is somehow involved.
Yet, somehow in the six years since LT and I have had children, we have never managed to actually get out and go camping. We have hit a few nice cabin trips, but we have
never done anything remotely involving camping. The prospect of camping with the kiddos has always been a bit much for us. It's not the prospect of taking the older kiddos camping that intimidates us, but rather the idea of taking a baby. Having had three kids, all 2 - 2 1/2 years apart, we have always had a baby or toddler in one form or the other. Having to bring along a pack-n-play, multiple layers of pjs, diapers, and sippy cups, plus being prepared to be woken up at the first crack of light or being kept up most of the night...these are the aspects that throw us into "Do we really want to do this?" mode. But, this past weekend, we finally decided to gather our courage and give tent camping a try. We went with some dear friends who have kiddos similar in age to ours. They, however, are much more experienced with the whole "camping with kids" scenerio and weren't intimidated in the least with what to bring, how to manage all the stuff, and how to fit all this stuff into a car already filled with three kids, two adults and one dog prone to carsickness (actually, that was us...our friends don't have a dog).
never done anything remotely involving camping. The prospect of camping with the kiddos has always been a bit much for us. It's not the prospect of taking the older kiddos camping that intimidates us, but rather the idea of taking a baby. Having had three kids, all 2 - 2 1/2 years apart, we have always had a baby or toddler in one form or the other. Having to bring along a pack-n-play, multiple layers of pjs, diapers, and sippy cups, plus being prepared to be woken up at the first crack of light or being kept up most of the night...these are the aspects that throw us into "Do we really want to do this?" mode. But, this past weekend, we finally decided to gather our courage and give tent camping a try. We went with some dear friends who have kiddos similar in age to ours. They, however, are much more experienced with the whole "camping with kids" scenerio and weren't intimidated in the least with what to bring, how to manage all the stuff, and how to fit all this stuff into a car already filled with three kids, two adults and one dog prone to carsickness (actually, that was us...our friends don't have a dog).I must confess,
the trip didn't get off to a good start for us. We got out of the city later than expected, hit the Friday night rush into the mountains, got stuck in construction, had a slightly fussy baby, and LT realized he had forgotten his fishing rod. Then, to make matters worse, we missed the turn-off and drove 20 extra miles. By the time we got to the campground, it was getting dusky. We took a road that looked like a loop of the campground only to find out it was just a four-wheel drive road. While the kids were saying, "Wheeeee" to all the bumps, the dog's (Lucy's) Dramamine wore off and she threw up. With puke contained to a blanket and one red Croc, we turned around and pulled into our campsite with the sun getting low. With us a bit frazzled, our worried friends (we were really late by then) helped us set up camp and feed our children.
the trip didn't get off to a good start for us. We got out of the city later than expected, hit the Friday night rush into the mountains, got stuck in construction, had a slightly fussy baby, and LT realized he had forgotten his fishing rod. Then, to make matters worse, we missed the turn-off and drove 20 extra miles. By the time we got to the campground, it was getting dusky. We took a road that looked like a loop of the campground only to find out it was just a four-wheel drive road. While the kids were saying, "Wheeeee" to all the bumps, the dog's (Lucy's) Dramamine wore off and she threw up. With puke contained to a blanket and one red Croc, we turned around and pulled into our campsite with the sun getting low. With us a bit frazzled, our worried friends (we were really late by then) helped us set up camp and feed our children.After a bumpy start, and a iffy first night's sleep, the rest of the trip went well. The kids loved camping. They got dirty, wet, chased each other with sticks and got to sleep in a tent.
Our middle daughter, age 4, who prefers to be called Sparkle Girl or Wonder Woman right now, thrived on camping. It was completely Sparkle's element...dirt, dirt and more dirt plus sleeping bags, friends and rocks to arrange. Here she is sporting her spunky hair, mosquito bitten nose, and hot chocolate covered jacket.
Our son, Slugger, age 6. also enjoyed camping. He got to sleep in a tent with his buddy, go exploring, eat smores, hunt imaginary foes, and generally have a rough and tumble time. Here he is chowing on a smore with his buddy. Yummy.
Our baby, Sugar, now age 1 1/2 years, was a real champ. She lost her shoes frequently, discovered she liked marshmellows, and generally was a trooper. She, like Sparkle, was a different shade of dirt when she got home.
All in all, the kids had a blast. It was great experience for them and for us. But, I think that it is good that we get almost a full year before we will think about whether we will go next summer.
