Fall Famliy Camping

We've tried to camp a few times this year, mostly due to our mountain bike season, but for the first time in my life I agreed to go Fall Family Camping.  We had it all planned out.  We would clear the calendar for the first weekend in October.  Then we'd wait to see if the forecast would be stellar.  We wouldn't make reservations, but we'd go up on Thursday so we wouldn't need them, and we would have the most terrific weekend of hiking and hanging with each other.

Wednesday night we double checked the forecast and everything seemed to be a "go".  We drifted off to bed with nothing but Mother Nature in our dreams.  A few hours later I was awoken a little differently then I had planned.  Kade had a sore, dry throat.  "Bummer", I thought.  He probably got the little cold Nathan and I had the week before.  I got him a drink and laid on the couch with him while he watched some cartoons.

A couple hours later Nathan and I debated whether we should continue with our camping plans or not.  We asked Kade if he thought he'd be okay.  He said, "No, I don't think I can do it."  I told him that it wasn't really any different going camping when you have a cold or staying at home.  He wasn't going to be allowed to watch tv all weekend anyway, so he might as well sit on our comfy camp chairs in front of the fire.  He still said, "No."  As knowledgeable parents, we decided what the heck.  We might as well go.  We've both had the cold and it wasn't *too* bad.

On our way out to the State Park we stopped at Target to pick up some batteries and a few gallons of water.  While I was there I picked up a Lego Mini Figures Sticker book for Kade.  I figure it would give him something kinda fun to look at and perk him up a bit.  When I got back to the truck, Nathan asked me if I thought Kade felt hot.  "No." I said.  "I don't think he feels warm.  He'll be fine." I assure him and off we go!

We circled the campground and found the perfect site.  There was only one other campsite next to us and behind our site was this amazing savanna prairie and then the bluffs off the river.  It must have been the most beautiful campsite I have ever seen.  The first thing we do is set Kade up in a camp chair and then Nathan headed out to find firewood.  Matt and Kelsey started to help me set up camp.

Kade starts to complain that he's cold.  I find a blanket for him and continue with set up.  The older kids and I start to get a little worried about Nathan.  He's been out looking for firewood for a looong time.  In fact, it's been so long that we're pretty much done with the set up.  All that's left is to pump up the air-mattresses and make the beds, but we can't do that until he comes back.  Nathan finally returns to the camp and says he couldn't find any fire wood.  He had gone to all three places that should have had wood available, but there wasn't any there.  Crap, we're gonna be cold tonight.  Oh well, it's going to be a great weekend.  We can handle one cold night.  The forecast is beautiful and our site in unbelievable.

Kade pipes up again.  He's getting 'really' cold.  I find him another blanket, a hat, and a scarf.  He's all snuggled up and we continue putting the finishing touches on the campsite.  I *just* finished making all the beds and I go to the truck to get my scarf and sweatshirt.  It's time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a brat.  I turn away from the truck and I hear, "HE'S THROWING UP!"  My heart sinks.  I run over to him.  I hold back the the blankets, the scarf, and take off his hat.  The poor kid pukes and pukes.  He finally finishes and it's pretty obvious we're gonna go home.  We eat a quick dinner, repack camp, and head all the way back.

Kade spent the rest of the weekend in front of the tv.  The rest of us spent the weekend commenting on what good weather we were having and how we'll need to try that campsite again next year.

Reverting

When I was a young woman, I used to joke that the only kind of camping I was willing to do would be at Camp Holiday Inn.  This was mostly due to the fact that as a child almost every camping trip I went on with my parents was completely uncomfortable and usually ended in rain.  And then there was the one time it ended in a tornado...me, holding my baby sister, sitting in the tent and watching it heave in and out...yeah that particular trip might have had something to do with my dislike for camping.

Fifteen years ago, Nathan and I went on our fist camping trip together and I was shocked at the differences.  Instead of four people sleeping in a 'four person tent' (seriously, who sleeps side by side like that without any gear when camping?!?!?), there was just the two of us in a four person tent.

Instead of sleeping with rocks and sticks poking me in the back all night, we slept on an air mattress.  Instead of our campsite being in a parking lot next to fifty other campers, our site was secluded amongst the trees.  And instead of the cold and rainy weather I was used to, we had a calm cool breeze at night and it was completely-rain-free!

I was sold on this new version of camping and soon we started adding gear to make our camping more and more convenient.  Seriously, we camp like kings and queens.  Here's a picture of my camping bed, it's a double-decker air-mattress, with sheets and satin pillowcases:

We love camping so much we've considered buying and living full-time in an RV.  An RV....now that would rock.  Imagine most of your things pre-packed in your camper, pulling up to your sight, leveling your camper, and then....just enjoying yourself for the duration of the trip.

Over the last year or so, this RV dream of mine has become a bit obsessive.  It's to the point where I don't want to camp anymore without one.  I'm tired of setting up the tents (3 of them), filling up air-mattresses (4 of them, including the double-decker which requires a special plug-in that runs off the battery of the truck), putting sheets on the bed and rolling out sleeping bags, pounding the Kamp Pal into the ground (with it's paper towels, garbage bag, lantern, and hand sanitizer), putting out the table cloth, setting out the chairs, organizing the camp stove, gas burner, AND the gas griddle, stringing the close line, filling the water jug, erecting the canopy, and then finally playing the 'what did we forget?' game.

This past weekend we went camping and there was something *different* about it.  When we pulled up to the camp site, everyone jumped out of the truck and we had camp set up in less then an hour, less then an hour!  It was easy and fun.  I stood there, dazed and confused, wondering why on earth I wanted an RV so badly.  Then it hit me.  Over the last year, in an attempt to get a head start on our camping weekends, I have gone out early with the kids and set up camp without Nathan three of the last five times.

I don't need an RV, I just need my husband...the camper.

East Coast Rocks

On a recent camping trip, the kids and I stopped at my sister's house to 'steal' some of her firewood.  We all got out of the truck and I asked the kids to start loading up the wood.  The kids had been mostly unhelpful in getting all our gear ready that morning, so I probably didn't really ask them to load the wood...it was more of an order.

My barefoot kids headed back toward the wood pile, slowly and uninspired.  The Brainiac, youngest of the three, started pouting first and The Artist was not too far behind.

Brainiac: "I don't want to get the wood."

Me: "Get the wood."

Brainiac (whining): "The rocks..."

Me (raising my voice): "I don't care about the rocks.  You should have put on your shoes and socks.  It's your own fault.  Now load up that wood!"

At this time The Social Guy started to throw wood out towards the other kids.  I stomped off back by the wood pile.  I grabbed a piece of wood and then I felt this searing prick on my ring finger.  I looked down and there was a wasp, stinging me:

 

I flicked the wasp off my finger and yelled at the kids, "GET OUT OF HERE! THERE ARE WASPS!  STAY AWAY FROM THE BACK YARD!"

We waited a few moments and I crept back to the wood.  I covered the pile and locked the gate.  My finger was swollen for the evening and we had a mostly uneventful camping trip.

A few days later I was re-telling my wasp story to a friend and Social Guy says, "We told you there were wasps."

Me: "No you didn't."

Social Guy: "Yes we did.  You told us to haul the wood anyways."

Me (flabbergasted): "No I didn't!  I wouldn't tell you to haul wood with wasps!"

Social Guy: "Yeah, Brainiac told you.  He said he didn't want to haul the wood because of the wasps."

Me (finally putting it all together): "Oh...I thought he said 'rocks'.  Wow, what kind of mom do you think I am to have you haul wood by wasps?"

Social Guy: "Well, we were kinda naughty that day."

(To my defense the youngest has a speech impediment that sounds very East Coast...wasps sounded a lot like rocks...very East Coast.)














 

Meal Planning

We have an out of town mountain bike race this weekend, so we'll be enjoying one of our families all time greatest pastimes: camping! 

Being the Domestic MFPrincess I am, I have been doing the clothes packing, errand running, and meal planning for the trip.  We've been camping for years and years, so I kinda got it all down.  I have an excel check list of all the things we will need to pack.  I've been running around picking up things (like a bike trailer for the dog), and I outlined meals for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, snacks, and dessert. 

This trip I planned on fresh strawberries, grapes, cherries, some fresh veggies with homemade spinach dip, burgers (turkey or beef *and* with or without mushrooms, bacon, or cheese - jalapeno cheddar or colby jack), brats (chicken/feta/spinach, chicken andouille, chicken apple gouda, or old fashioned wieners), turkey/bacon/avocado sandwiches, a quinoa salad, breakfast pudgy pies (scrambled eggs, onions, peppers, and sausage enclosed in two slices of bread and cooked over the open fire), mini cinnamon rolls, lemon brunch cake, pita chips, some sort of sprouted veggie chips, cookies, and a cold chicken pesto pasta salad...

Sometimes when we go camping I bring too much food.

I thought about this today as I started making the pasta and quinoa salads.

And then I put the six chicken breasts I planned on putting in the cold chicken pesto pasta salad in the microwave to get them out of my way.

And I left them there.

For a long time.

Too long.

We'll need to throw them out.

I stopped at Cub Foods and grabbed ONE rotisserie chicken to replace those SIX chicken breasts.

We might run out of food while camping.  I'll let you know.

The Third Child...

We have three beautiful children together:

Mine: The Social Guy [The Oldest] - He can talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere (and I am NOT kidding). He remembers faces and names, unlike his mother. He will make friends no matter where he goes. He loves, loves, loves people.

His: The Artist [The Middle Child]- She has the most amazing stories in her head. She can take you on the adventure of a life time without you ever leaving the living room or backyard. She can write them or help you act them out, even at the grocery store.

Ours: The Brainiac [The Baby] - He can figure out how anything works and will tell you how he could make it better. He is happiest in the garage or working with Legos thinking up his next greatest invention. Oh, and he has a really weird East Coast accent.

The three of them are a great mix and most of the time they make a beautiful blend of oil, herbs, and vinegar (in no particular order). But sometimes they separate and it makes parenting their different styles difficult. So one of my favorite things to do is to take them camping. It's a few days when the "Olson Family of Five" is nothing but a perfect blend.

Some of our frequent places to visit are the MN State Parks. The State Parks are usually very clean and quiet, enough privacy and enough running water. We like to hike and "rough it" (rough it = double decker air-mattress for me and hubby, nice sheets, three room tent, mini tents for the teens, organizers, flat top gas griddle, gas grill, gas burner , adapter for the car battery to run plugged in appliances (yes I 'could' bring and run my microwave), reclining chairs, mp3 player and little baby speakers....I think you get the picture.) for as many weekends as we can each summer. Unfortunately we were only able to go family camping once this summer. But, there are so many blog-able events that happened over the weekend you can expect a few blogs this week :)

Seeing that the kids are older (15, 14, 8), they got a lot more freedom this year. The teens went to the showers by themselves. All three kids took the dogs for short, but adventurous walks throughout the park. Our requirements were simple: stay together and bring a walkie talkie.

Then there is the Third Child...
Considering his age, he was probably allowed the most freedom of them all...

Eight Year Old, "Hey dad, I wanna make a fire."

Dad, "ah...no? I paid $4 per tiny bundle of wood and you are not making a fire at 3:00 in the afternoon."

Eight Year Old, "but dad, I really, really want to make a fire. You always make log cabin fires and I wanna build a tee-pee fire."

Dad, "You can make a fire closer to dinner time."

Eight Year Old, "but-sep-for [except for] I wanna make one now."

Dad, "Fine. Go get your own wood and you can make a fire."

Eight Year Old, "All the wood is too big for me to carry."

Dad :::hands Eight Year Old a saw::: "Okay, go saw it into smaller pieces."

Fifteen Year Old tunes into what is going on, "WHAT!?!?! Did you just give the Eight Year Old a saw? AND tell him to go cut his own wood?"

Dad, "Yeah...so?"

Fifteen Year Old :::silently thinking::: "what the FUCK are you thinking?"

Fifteen Year Old, "You never gave me a saw at eight!"

Mom, "oh, you don't even remember being eight."

Fifteen Year Old, "wow"

***Hours later Eight Year Old starts fire with Dad's $4 per "small" bundle of wood***

And of course we didn't give The Oldest Child, aka The Social Butterfly a saw at eight! He would have sawed his finger off while talking to the people at the next camp site...

Tiaras and Tutus~
The MFP