Week 30

Earlier this summer, our neighbors asked if we wanted to go camping together.  Derek and I had been thinking about going this summer since we didn't have a big summer vacation planned and we hadn't been in a long time (3 years!).  We were disagreeing on where to go camping- Derek wanted to go up north (3 or 4 hours away) and I wanted to go super close (20 minutes) in case the weather sucked and we wanted to go home.  So when our neighbors who hadn't been camping in 15 years asked us, I won the disagreement and we went super close.  I am so glad we did!  Punky was still able to go to a birthday party (at a horse stable!) on Friday night.  The boys left early to set up camp and the girls met them there after the party.  Maybe next year we will be brave enough to go farther away.

We ate our meals separately, but on the first morning our neighbors made sausage.  Punky was over there in a second flat.  No go on the granola bars and grapes we planned.

The kids had fun around the campsites.  They played card games, played pretend like school and zoo and basically hung around.  We did get quite a few "I'm boreds" which I found funny and annoying.  I kept saying "Do whatever you want!" but I guess they are used to more structured time.  I don't know and I am going to be sure to ask my parents if I said "I'm bored" while camping as a kid.  

We spent a good chunk of the day at the playground and the beach.  I'm so thankful there was a nice beach for the kids to swim.  Our campsite was well shaded and had a nice breeze, but it was a hot and humid weekend regardless!

He needed some help with his goggles

We came back from the beach, cleaned up, ate and went to a family program about Native American skills.  We had a campfire and s'mores.  The kids wanted to tell ghost stories and the only partially remembered one my Dad told when I was little.  "Whoooo's got my golden arm?"  Anytime my Dad repeated that phrase I would be so freaked out!  So I did a little googling, found the complete story and told the kids.  Yikes- Buddy and the other little brother were so scared!  They had a good laugh about it in the morning but they were so so so scared that night.  Why do I find that so funny?

Buddy fell asleep during the campfire

The number one good thing about camping so close to home?  We were home and unpacked by noon.  We all showered, went to Chipotle, did laundry and Derek and I took naps while the kids vegged out.  Perfect!