The Camping Trip

Brian and I have been itching to take the kids camping again. The hot weather broke a couple of weeks ago, and so we finally jumped at the chance.

We started looking around at possible camp sites, and finally took the easy way out. We reserved a spot at the state park about 3 minutes from home. We figured that braving a night in a tent with Jackson was enough adventure, we didn't need to bookend it with lengthy car trips.

So, Saturday I got up at 6ish for a 630 run with Hilary, Misty and Sarah. Hilary was doing 20 miles, but the rest of us only had to do 12, so we started a little late to allow Hil to get a few miles done first so that she could have company in the middle. Good run.

Made it home at 820ish and after my requisite coffee and chocolate milk, headed with the family to "Dog Daze" - the annual dog festival in Fort Walton Beach. We were taking Skoshi with us, and meeting another family there (I'm a dog-pusher. The mom of the family wants a dog, dad is not entirely crazy about the idea... so I take every opportunity to expose them to adoptable rescue dogs and email pictures of potential candidates. I'm really bad, I know.) It was fun, the kids got tired out and I wound up having to drag Jackson away kicking and screaming (he was a little over tired, and liked the monkey bars).

After a much needed nap (for Jackson only, though. I needed one too, but had to pack up for the camping trip), we all headed down the street to our campsite. The place was packed, but our place was reasonably secluded, although with no water view. We set up the tent and unloaded the car. We were careful to tell the kids that they had to take their shoes off before going into the tent.

We went on a nature hike on some of the trails, and quickly settled into a walking pattern. Brian and Riley walk ahead, and I stay behind trying to shoo Jackson along. For some reason, he decided it was fun to kick whatever dirt/sand/rocks/leaves we were walking over, and listen to the sound it made. It made for very slow going - "step, swoosh.... step, swoosh..." He's also fascinated with squirrels, and must veer off to investigate any nearby sound in the event that it may actually be a "baby squirrel?" lurking nearby. Oh, and he's fascinated by rocks, leaves, acorns, bugs... anything he can pick up and stash in his pocket and then forget about until I hear it clanking around in the dryer 2 days later (and this annoying trait is one that they apparently won't grow out of, Riley did it the entire walk, too, but she is also compelled to soliloquize about the virtues and possible secret life of every rock/leaf/acorn she finds (she won't go near the bugs). Actually, now that I think about it, Brian STILL does this, only it's generally receipts, coins and flight-line earplugs that multiply in his pockets).

It was a nice walk. And I'm so glad Jackson is there to make sure I don't miss a single spider web or ant hill. Eventually I tried carrying him in order to speed things along, but he can only put up with my goal-directed pace for a couple of minutes before he must climb down to collect some compelling stick or climb a nearby tree stump. So, after an hour's walk on a 20 minute trail we made it back to the campsite. I set about constructing a campfire and Brian headed back to the house to let Skoshi out for a potty break (we decided that 2 kids was enough camping adventure for the night and scampering through other peoples campsites would definitely been on Skoshi's agenda) and collect one or two things we'd forgotten. Riley is nothing if not helpful, and so she set about collecting every single pine needle she could lay her hands on and carry them back by the handful to throw in the vicinity of the firepit. And Jackson, while not generally helpful, will copy whatever Riley says or does. So Riley would throw a handful of pineneedles and Jackson would throw a handful of dirt.

After the blaze was flickering along nicely and both children were admonished that fire was very hot and they would immediately be sent to time out if they got too close, I set about getting dinner ready (we were having corn on the cob and Tofurkey veggie brats (no snickering and gagging until you've tried them!). I had previously also admonished both children that they were to remove their shoes prior to going into the tent. Riley can be counted on to follow rules to the letter. Jackson.... not so much. So you can imagine my surprise when I looked over and he was actually taking off of his shoes prior to going into the tent. Unfortunately, he took of his shoes (and socks) by the fire, then walked gingerly over to the tent - on his heels. You could almost see the thoughts telegraphing across his face, "This is weird, and not so comfortable, but Mom said to take off my shoes..." He was a little perplexed when I shouted at him to wait, but went into the tent anyway, traipsing much debris as he could manage to stick to the bottom of his feet in with him. Well, I suppose I should at least be grateful that he actually listened to me and attempted to follow my directions. When I called him back out of the tent, he also complied. Walking all the way back across the campsite on his bare heels. It's hard not to laugh.

We then gathered around the campfire, and Jackson did what any other 21st century 2 year old would do... he sang Happy Birthday over and over again (off key). I suppose birthday candles are really the only time he ever sees fire, so it sort of makes sense. We then ate our dinner of veggie dogs and corn-on-the-cob (with butter - one of the things Brian had gone home to retrieve). Then came the kids favorite part of the entire trip - the smores. Riley is very careful when she roasts marshmallows, and is quite proud of the fact that she does not set her marshmallow on fire (like mom and dad did). Unfortunately, this means her marshmallow is often undercooked and doesn't squish well - but to each their own. Jackson doesn't care, he just eats/wears whatever condition of s'more he's given - and he's not allowed to roast his own marshmallow. I don't even want to think about the flaming mess of goo that would result. After traipsing to the bathroom for one more potty break, toothbrushing and face washing, we convinced the kids to climb into their sleeping bags. Riley was thrilled to comply, as she had received a princess sleeping bag for her birthday and was eager to try it out. Jackson, on the other hand, is absolutely allergic to any and all coverings while he sleeps. It's very strange. He will wake up crying because he's cold, but as soon as I put a blanket on him he shrieks "NO GIKI! NO GIKI!" (giki in Jacksonspeak means blanket) like he's been scalded. The state park is much louder than I thought it would be, and after telling stories and singing a song or two, it took a while for the kids to settle down. Brian eventually fell asleep, too, but I was still wide awake, listening to the cars going over the Rocky Bayou Bridge and the teenagers cussing as they wandered down the road by the campsite. Fortunately, I had my iPhone with me, and so I could check email and price running gear all in the middle of the woods!

After sleeping fitfully all night (Brian and I agreed - only kids can sleep on the ground and actually sleep), I got up at 6 for an easy 6 miles with Misty. It was a nice pace run - we managed about 8:04 for the duration. Afterwards, I gathered up my clothes and headed to the showers for a makeshift babywipe shower. I'd forgotten a towel and soap, so it was very make-shift... but babywipes work wonders. Once I made it back to the tent, everyone was up and dressed. We ate our breakfast of Kashi and yogurt (we're not such diehard campers that we can bring ourselves to make ANOTHER campfire in the morning. Although Jackson kept wandering back over to the firepit to shout "MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAY? MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU PLEASE?") We ventured to the playground (where we met another family that lives in Bluewater and goes camping at the state park on a regular basis... Apparently, 3 minutes from home is enough adventure for their preschoolers, too. It was fun, but who knows when we'll get to do it again - we're booked until mid-December!