Camping

We had a really great time camping. So starts possibly my lamest blog ever, but I just want it recorded that a few weeks ago, we took four small children, five adults, and three Subarus into the North Carolina wilderness, and we did just fine.

I had been looking forward to this camping trip for quite a while. I have long fantasized about being a person who camps, who takes her kids camping, who casually says to people at the pool and such, "oh yeah, we went camping last weekend" (which I did, completely dorkily, right after we got back). I also would love for us to have a (CHEAP) fun thing to do on weekends for our family.

So, if I'm being honest about the actual setup of camp, the "testosterone brigade" helped quite a bit. Let's just say I could put a tent up if I absolutely had to, but when it started to pour down rain I graciously stepped aside and let the manly men do their work of putting up the rain cover and making sure it was tight enough to not have leaks. This was a STORM, mama, I'm telling you, and then it was just rain, until 1 or 2 a.m.

Nevertheless, all nine of us (including one very confused, but game, four-month-old) hung out in our damp, dark tent for a while, til the kids began to lose their minds. The two-year-olds nursed, the baby nursed, the four year old curled up on her little bed, and although I did learn that a cot is MUCH less comfy than an air mattress, sleep happened for everyone involved.

The next morning was beautiful. I was out before sunrise and the trees were still heavy with the rain, so I occasionally got showered, and I could hear the giant waterfall across the road. We made bacon and pancakes on the cast-iron skillets, which made an unbelievably tasty breakfast, and then we had smores for dessert since we got cheated out of our campfire the night before. "Breakfast SMORES???" said M, in extreme delight.

All in all, a very normal, fun, grubby, happy, camping trip. That is to say, a miracle in my house. I'm a camper! I camp!