I'm the kind of person who likes to do things on the fly, so I love the unstructured nature of summer. I know these months can fly by so fast though, and I want to be deliberate in this time with my kids. I'm keenly feeling just how fleeting these precious early years are. That's why I'm planning some special activities every week to do with the kids. One activity Riley has been eager to try is camping. I loved camping as a kid, so I was excited to share this experience with her. Before heading out to a campground, I thought we'd try it out and see how she liked it in the backyard. School was not quite out yet, but I dug a two-person tent out of the basement and pitched it in the side garden.
Jeff predicted that we wouldn't last until midnight, but I'm happy to report we made it the whole night. We started our camp-out with a late night snack of s'mores. (Note: Those giant marshmallows they're carrying at Buehler's make for some seriously messy treats.) Riley turned in around 9:00 while I sat outside the tent with a magazine and provided nourishment for the mosquitos until I decided to turn in too. Roo was pretty wound up about sleeping in a tent, so she didn't actually fall asleep until 10:30. Even then, she frequently woke up long enough to give me a big squeeze around the neck (thus waking me as well) and exclaim, "I love camping." Despite a lack of sleep. I'd call the outing a success. We're looking forward to doing some real camping this summer.
Riley is prepared for our backyard camping. Do you notice that the tent is bulging a bit?
Here's the reason for the bulge - a large inflatable mattress. The ground is not as comfortable as it used to be when I was a kid (or perhaps I've just become a wimp) . I guess we're going to need a bigger tent.
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