We Went Camping!

Hey all.

A two day camping trip necessitated a week-long respite from the blog.

Silly, eh?

When word came down the pipe that we'd be roughing it for two days, a few things needed to be put together so we would have a lovely time in the woods. Like food. And sleeping gear. And swimming gear. And dishes.

I spent last Thursday and Friday collecting things and packing and baking. Saturday and Sunday we did the deed. Monday was Recovery Day. Camping wipes me out!


Saturday:

• Drag butt out of bed.
• Wake others.
• Take Skittish White Dog to the kennel.
• Pack clothes; pack cooler; pack car.
• Drive to rendezvous point.
• Unpack car. Pack boat.
• Boat ride!
• Unpack Boat. Trek gear uphill to 'cottage'. Unpack gear.
• Chat with hosts.
• Unpack cooler. Lunch. Pack cooler.
• Pack fishing gear, snacks, drinks, kids into boat.
• Fish.
• Visit other cottagers.
• Kids' first motorboat ride. Fish The Girl's hat out of the lake.
• Return to prepare dinner. Eat.
• Campfire.
• Rescue children from mosquitoes thicker than fog.
• Play really cool card game.
• Sleep.

Sunday:

• Wake at 9:15 thinking it's 6a.m.
• Check on health of The Boy, my early riser, who has never been so quiet for so long.
• Take book to dock and read in the sunshine.
• Help get breakfast out. Ok, brunch.
• Pack up sleeping gear.
• Hang out at the dock while kids swim.
• Call MNR on idiots who parked their rental boat 30 feet from the dock.
• Mention the wee tiny fish they're keeping in their live well.
• Snacks dockside. Too full from brunch for lunch.
• Take boat out for the kids' maiden tubing adventure.
• Reassure The Girl that not everyone likes tubing.
• Remark quietly to Mr. B about the shortest and slowest no-wake tubing adventure ever.
• Pack swim toys and inflatables.
• Return to cottage and pack up all gear.
• Trek gear to dock. Pack boat.
• Boat ride!
• Unload Boat. Find Car. Pack Car.
• Drive home. Unpack car. Unpack cooler.
• Sleep.

In the end it was a great time. I get a kick out of all the 'necessary' things we need for a short overnight stay. We so appreciate our hosts inviting us to their family cottage (no plumbing, no electricity) as this isn't the kind of thing that we're able to do with the kids on our own. It's so quiet and relaxing to be on their wooded island even for just a short time. I love watching my kids do stuff for the first time. It still gets me after all these years. This time is was snorkeling and tubing and whittling. They love the 'adventurous' feeling they get from doing all of the out-of-the-ordinary stuff a trip like this entails. I love that at their ages, the kids are still excited to spend this family time together. Neither could imagine doing something like this any other way.


This one weekend made both the kids' summer.