we bought a tent trailer this summer
We love it. I actually had a number of camping trips planned this year when we thought we were going to be tenting it, and then on a whim we bought a tent trailer at the end of July. Since then we have camped six different times at four different campgrounds.
It's actually a lot of work with four young kids, but they really love it and I've always liked camping so it's interesting trying to rework our camping expectations to fit around the needs and craziness of our family.
We actually just came home today from Shady Oaks. Each September long weekend the Manitoba Old Time Bluegrass Society has a giant camp out at Shady Oaks campground just West of Austin. Steven's Dad and not-so-wicked Stepmom both play and sing in bluegrass groups and are heavily involved in this weekend so we like to camp and enjoy the bluegrass atmosphere, performances and of course the campground and pool.
We were supposed to camp from Friday to Monday but we kind of pooped out today and came home a day early. I don't think we did too badly since it was our third camping weekend in a row. I kind of felt bad though, as it seemed that by the end of the weekend we were doing more and more yelling and scolding at our increasingly belligerent children.
All in all, it was a great summer. In just two sleeps Tennyson and Mitchell start nursery school and two days later Jordan goes into grade 1. It's amazing how time flies. The summer just flew by, as have the last few. It still amazes me that Jordan is going to be in school full-time. Even more so that Mitchell (my baby for so long) is actually old enough, big enough, independent enough, to go to nursery school. A little sad, and a little exciting too. He's going to love it. He's got his new spiderman shoes and backpack all ready to go.
Now I'm sitting in the camper with the three oldest kids. I told them that since we were going to leave a day early we'd sleep in the camper tonight, so as not to rob them of their third night of camping. They always ask at the beginning of a camping trip how many nights we are going to stay. There's no way we can sneak home early.
I had visions today of them falling asleep right away (you know, being so tired and all) and me reading my book and computing in my bunk. Maybe texting. As it turns out, the few hours at home have refreshed them. Mitchell is now in my bed because he wouldn't stop pestering his brother. Tennyson is playing some sort of swarthy game in his bunk and refuses to stop making noises and sound effects. Jordan won't stop yapping until she's sure that everyone else is done. Mitchie brought a book with him, and despite me repeatedly tucking him in, he's now sitting beside me and reading me the book. I suppose I should shut this thing down and give him a moment of my time. In a few years he may be less than interesting in cuddling up with Mommy and a book.
Sometimes I see other peoples' kids walk quietly beside them, and not climb everything in site and touch everything that's not nailed down. Some kids have inside voices. I know, crazy.
I used to wish my kids would be just a little more subdued sometimes, but you know, then they just wouldn't be my kids. They kind of rock. And drive me a little nuts - but they're all mine. And one little tousled blond one really wants me to look at his little pirate story.
Back in a few.
It's actually a lot of work with four young kids, but they really love it and I've always liked camping so it's interesting trying to rework our camping expectations to fit around the needs and craziness of our family.
We actually just came home today from Shady Oaks. Each September long weekend the Manitoba Old Time Bluegrass Society has a giant camp out at Shady Oaks campground just West of Austin. Steven's Dad and not-so-wicked Stepmom both play and sing in bluegrass groups and are heavily involved in this weekend so we like to camp and enjoy the bluegrass atmosphere, performances and of course the campground and pool.
We were supposed to camp from Friday to Monday but we kind of pooped out today and came home a day early. I don't think we did too badly since it was our third camping weekend in a row. I kind of felt bad though, as it seemed that by the end of the weekend we were doing more and more yelling and scolding at our increasingly belligerent children.
All in all, it was a great summer. In just two sleeps Tennyson and Mitchell start nursery school and two days later Jordan goes into grade 1. It's amazing how time flies. The summer just flew by, as have the last few. It still amazes me that Jordan is going to be in school full-time. Even more so that Mitchell (my baby for so long) is actually old enough, big enough, independent enough, to go to nursery school. A little sad, and a little exciting too. He's going to love it. He's got his new spiderman shoes and backpack all ready to go.
Now I'm sitting in the camper with the three oldest kids. I told them that since we were going to leave a day early we'd sleep in the camper tonight, so as not to rob them of their third night of camping. They always ask at the beginning of a camping trip how many nights we are going to stay. There's no way we can sneak home early.
I had visions today of them falling asleep right away (you know, being so tired and all) and me reading my book and computing in my bunk. Maybe texting. As it turns out, the few hours at home have refreshed them. Mitchell is now in my bed because he wouldn't stop pestering his brother. Tennyson is playing some sort of swarthy game in his bunk and refuses to stop making noises and sound effects. Jordan won't stop yapping until she's sure that everyone else is done. Mitchie brought a book with him, and despite me repeatedly tucking him in, he's now sitting beside me and reading me the book. I suppose I should shut this thing down and give him a moment of my time. In a few years he may be less than interesting in cuddling up with Mommy and a book.
Sometimes I see other peoples' kids walk quietly beside them, and not climb everything in site and touch everything that's not nailed down. Some kids have inside voices. I know, crazy.
I used to wish my kids would be just a little more subdued sometimes, but you know, then they just wouldn't be my kids. They kind of rock. And drive me a little nuts - but they're all mine. And one little tousled blond one really wants me to look at his little pirate story.
Back in a few.
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