Before I begin the post about camping, let's take a quick moment and discuss coffee. Love it. My husband is a "barefoot coffee" guy (meaning he drinks it straight black). I guess that would make me a "fancy-shmanchy boot-wearing coffee" kind of girl. I like some 1/2 & 1/2, sugar and a bit of flavoring in my cup to jazz the coffee up a bit. When I order coffee at Starbuck's, he says I get terrible coffee with a side of candy. Oh well. He can have his opinion and I can have mine.
Today I went by Starbuck's (brilliant marking plan to have it right there in Target) and got the best drink ever: a short cup of blonde roast with a squirt of salted caramel. For $1.77, I got a cup 2/3 full of mellower flavored coffee with a this yummy sweetness that the sweet barista concocted just for me (wow--I am very special) and I got to fill the rest of the cup with 1/2 and 1/2. Life seriously doesn't get better.
Thanks for following me down that bunny trail. Back to the subject at hand: camping. As a child, I slept in a tent once with my brother and my grandma. I was about 10 and we slept in our backyard. It is a good memory, but that was my extent of experience in a tent before last week.
I married a mountain man. He could seriously live off the grid and be completely happy as long as he had a supply of coffee. I, on the other hand, am just a bit more froofy. I've learned that as the mom of 3 boys who are growing to be very much like him, I can choose to toughen up and join in the fun or choose to stay prissy and clean and abstain. It's a choice to make as situations arise, but camping is something I decided to embrace.
Our Spring Break was last week and it was a chilly one. When I suggested going camping for a night, I fully expected we would rent a camper of some kind. Many of my friends camp with their families and almost all have campers or RVs. Aaron priced said campers and decided we would give his tent a go before forking out the money. I reluctantly agreed. I stressed over what to pack and made the mistake of going on Pinterest and seeing how others pack to camp.
In theory, this was a great decision and I will say it really paid off when I had packed an extra pair of shoes for all and they were needed thanks to a poor decision by son #1. But beyond that, seeing what all everyone else did just stressed me out. A good friend sent me a list of what she and her husband had on their list and that was very helpful. The great thing was the Aaron had about 98% of the gear we needed from previous hunting trips, so the shopping was easier than I had anticipated.
When he made our reservation at a state park about an hour from our home, he chose to get us a site with water and electricity. The morning of the trip, I was a bit overwhelmed with the vast amount of stuff needed to camp out for one night, but Aaron and I worked together with the huge list we had compiled from my friend's list as well as a handful found on Pinterest.
We stopped at DQ on our way which is a treat for all. When we arrived at the state park, we all went in and the boys were very impressed with how many toys were available to buy there. I wasn't. We made it to our camp site, #38, and I was struck by the fact we had a parking space, a picnic table which was good-sized, a cleared out area that seemed to be gravel and the water and electrical outlet. Not lots of space. Very close to numbers 37 and 39 which also had families at them.
Aaron made short work of putting up the tent with all of us helping. He then aired up the air mattresses like a champ. I would still be blowing those up if it had been my job. With camp set up, we headed out to explore.
We did a geocache to start off. The boys enjoyed the hike and weren't too interested in finding the treasure, but Aaron liked it. I'm not good at looking for things and tend to get bored quickly. Aaron's a much better treasure hunter than me. I was relieved when he found it because I was afraid the treasure wasn't there.
After that, the boys played at the playground for a bit and then we headed out to fish. The adventure with fishing was that we walked around the lake to find the perfect spot. There was a narrow trail that Aaron led us down that got more and more narrow. We had to climb up the bank at one point because neither me nor Aaron wanted to jump in after boys if one of them lost their footing.
We found a good spot and fished for a bit. The boys aren't great at casting, but they liked being on the water. If it had been warmer and I had planned a bit better, they would have worn waterish shoes so they could wade out a bit. The shoes didn't stop #1. They loved the shells and the water.
At one point, #2 needed to use the bathroom so I took him. He loved the hike around the lake. Honestly, I did, too. No fish were caught but we had a great time. At the bathroom, there was a mom who got irritated at her daughters for wanting to climb the tree just up the way from the bathrooms. I was thrilled my boys were interested in the tree so I could pop into the facility while Aaron was gathering fire wood. To each his own.
Watching the boys "help" Aaron start the camp fire was a cool moment. They were so impressed with how he could use the magical tools to start a fire. If that would have been my job, we would still be out there waiting for me to get one lit. The hot dogs were yummy and I totally enjoyed not feeling like I had to also have a vegetable at the dinner table. S'mores were hit and I learned that for next time, #2 and Aaron really don't need S'mores. Marshmallows are really all they want. Good to know.
As it got dark, I thought it wise for Aaron to take #3 and #1 to the bathrooms while #2 and I watched the fire. I don't really know what we would have done had something have happened to the fire in Aaron's absence, but luckily we didn't have to see. Aaron and the boys were gone for over 30 minutes. I started getting worried. #2 asked if he could go ahead and put on his PJs since it was getting cold. I told him he could. Turns out the bathrooms were a 20 minute round trip for me to walk. Yikes. Good to know for next time.
Our tent is for 4. We are a family of 5. It was a bit snug, but at least we were warm on a chilly evening. I tend to get cold and than stay that way which makes me whiny. Aaron thought ahead and got a sleeping bag rated for 30 degrees for me. I was warm and toasty. With my air mattress I was very comfy except for #3 kicking me in the head throughout the night. He had turned 90 degrees during the night so he would head butt Aaron while also kicking me. Quite an adventure that he doesn't even remember. Boy #1 woke up at 5, totally ready to take on the day. The rest of us weren't. Aaron convinced him to keep resting until about 7.
On my morning constitutional to the facilities, I noticed that those of us in tents were up and about but those in campers weren't. I also noticed that my boys were noisier than I would have preferred, but quiet isn't really a setting for #1. He lives life loud.
Aaron made us bacon and eggs and we enjoyed coffee. So glad I packed the coffee creamer. That hazelnut sure tasted good in the chilly air while trying to hush my boys. We broke camp and went on to explore. There was a historic fort we got to see and of all of us, Aaron liked that the most. The boys liked seeing the weapons. I was just happy to be there.
We did another geocache that was easier, but the boys were tired. It was time to head home. Rain hit as we drove. So glad it didn't come in during the night.
My goal with this adventure was the leave with a smile on my face. I met my goal. I loved being out in nature with my family. Even when I swear I heard a coyote outside our tent somewhere around 3AM, it was good. My boys had a great time. We're making plans to get a bigger tent and go again before the heat hits this summer.
I like that I can be a froofy coffee girl but can also brave the wilderness with my boys. Motherhood helps us grow in many ways, toughness being one of them.
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