It rained.
We put up the tent in the rain. I wiped out the inside of the tent and we immediately put the kids in. We played in the tent (which Noah thought of as a cold and drafty prison) and went to bed. It rained all night long and then sprinkled throughout the whole next day. We laughed and quoted the brilliant "Stuff White People Like" entry on camping;
"If you find yourself trapped in the middle of the woods without electricity, running water, or a car you would likely describe that situation as a “nightmare” or “a worse case scenario like after plane crash or something.” White people refer to it as “camping.”
There were parts of the experience that were nightmareish (like when I had to take Noah to the car at 3 in the morning and sleep with him cuddled in my arms) but there was also something so magical about being in the woods--especially with someone who is 3.
We threw rocks in the water and made wishes (Claire wished that we would have a backyard just like grandmas--she asked me if I thought it would be there when we got home), we collected leaves that were just starting to change colors (all leaves that had at least 3 colors on them were offically deemed magical) then threw them in the fire. I'm also pretty sure that I am now a princess forever thanks to a very elaborate smoke ceremony that involved Claire poking a stick into the fire and then waving the smoking end around and around.
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| I wish you could actually see the salamandar she is petting in this picture. They were everywhere |
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| Camping with a crawler. Bring a pack n' play and set it up by the fire with toys in it. We also set up an extra tent just for the kids to play in so the didn't track mud into our tent. Speaking of our tent--we have the greatest tent. It rained all night and nothing was wet. You should get it but buy it used because who has $300 to spend on a tent? We got ours for $25 at the REI used gear sale. Best. Tent. Ever. |
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| Don't mind the fashion statement here with my hood up. Noah likes to pull the hairs on the back of your neck when he rides in the carrier. |
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| Claire took this one |
Claire was only consoled about coming home by the fact that we told her that this weekend we are staying at a hotel that has a swimming pool on the way to Niagra Falls.
Looks beautiful. As we prepare for the ward campout, I'm thinking about you guys. Wish you were here. Good tip about crawlers. My baby is at that stage. I'm sure Niagra Falls was still amazing despite the rain and lack of bathrooms. It's pretty wet there anyway from what I recall. Say hello to the fam!
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