After 5 years...and much talking myself into it...we went tent camping. The four of us. We booked our site at Lincoln State Park several months ago in celebration of Brian's birthday...and hoped it wasn't a disaster. Ironically, we booked weeks before other sites were occupied...and somehow ended up with one of the worst spots! No big deal, we were rarely there. But did make note of some better sites for next time.
We arrived Friday late afternoon and set up camp. The kids were super excited! Hot dogs and chips were an easy dinner, s'mores rounded off the evening. Patrick was happy to get his bike out and tool around the campsite, which was totally bustling. We choose a primitive site, considering we actually prefer to not have electrical hook up....and joined quite a few, well, rednecks. That first night was a late one, but everyone did great sleeping in the tent. The weather was cool, just perfect. The next day, Brian made up some pancakes and bacon, then we headed out to the playground. Fishing came next, lunch, checking out the Lincoln Boyhood National Park and the living farm and museum. Dinner was a favorite camp meal - chicken pot pie and peach cobbler. Delicious! The kids were exhausted and hit the sack by 9, not complaining once about the noise. We laughed because our backyard campfires are more relaxing and "taking in nature" than this was. But, hey, it's Memorial Day weekend. What do you expect?
Sunday morning, we slept in and awoke to a day a tad warmer. Brian made biscuits for breakfast and we fished some more. Ok, the boys were fishing. Lucy's feelings about fishing can be summed up in her comment about 5 mins in to the experience -- "How long do we have to DO this??". She and I hiked around, played on the playground, chatted. After lunch we visited the Nature Center, fished some more, broke camp and headed home. Both kids were out, as predicted, before we hit 64 :)
This was a VERY fun weekend! I will be the first to admit that not only am I not a camper...but I have been hesitant to venture into this with the kids. The kids did GREAT! They loved it! Loved sleeping in a tent, riding bikes, eating campfood, fishing, and playing on the playground. It was so nice to just....relax. To not be distracted with Internet, TV, chores, etc. To take time and search a clearing for the acorn "bottom" that will fit a certain acorn "hat". To push kids on the swing to their content. To tell stories in a tent because you didn't bring books. And to fish the morning away and see a child's glee with every dip of the bobber. We can't wait to do it again!
