Newbie Camping

Okay so three weeks later....we went camping. But not just for one night, no, for two WHOLE NIGHTS. That's right guys. Two. Dos. I think after 10 years of marriage (this Friday!) Brewerman was finally trying to take me out....of the picture...completely.

Luckily, the universe was smiling down on me and sent me Vanerellian (Vanny because I can never remember how to spell that) to be a camping partner-in-crime. Oh yes, of course we brought our husbands but they don't count...they are just there to grill the meat, kill big bugs, and lift heavy objects for us. Vanerellian and I spent days...DAYS planning our lists of what to bring. We had our food list, our packing-ahead-of-time lists, our need-to-buy lists, and our pack-day-of lists. Oh and our clothes lists and supplies lists. We planned out all our meals (with Traceyomama as well since they were going to come spend the day with us on Saturday, but not camp - cheaters!), including snacks and drinks and cooler space. The guys rolled their eyes and muttered something about women and camping.

We bought camping items (including a percolator which Vanney was VERY proud of). We packed our cars to the BRIM (literally....we had the kids legs on top of bags on top of food, on top of First Aid kits, on top of scooters, on top of tents). We set off at about 3 pm on Friday, which was actually pretty good since we had decided we were firmly going to leave no later than noon. After a pit stop to the store for wasn't-ever-going-to-be-enough ice, we arrived. Jaseph got there earlier and reserved an excellent spot for us, we spent about 5 minutes ooooing and aaaahing and then the next 5 minutest talking about how it wasn't good enough, then another 5 minutes thinking it was the best spot ever, then we started setting up our tents.

Jaseph was already in the middle of setting up the tent when we got there. About 45 minutes later, two brew-haha's, and after hearing every one's opinions (including the kids') about what was wrong with it (and not one of us actually having a clue), we finally got their blasted tent up. After setting our tent up and actually reading the instructions first we realized that I guess you are supposed to stake the tent prior to putting it up. Huh. That explains the 45 minutes.

Our tent - amazing! We had bought it at Costco and it came complete with a porch (!!) area, swing hinge door (!!) and two room dividers (!!!!!!!) so the kids slept in their own space. And with enough room for the required air mattress (of course). Vanny's tent was about the same size of ours (basically a small house) so it was quite hilarious looking at them together. We had our own little commune going. With electricity. And water...filtered courtesy of Brewerman's filter that he has for his beer (yes he grudgingly let us use it).




Our Sweet Little Campsite


We had a shaded and screened canopy courtesy of Vanny and Jaseph and the first night was dinner, set up, a few a lot of drinks, excited chatter, and then sleeping with the lovely built-in noisemaker (bugs).

Luckily, we were able to wake up right with the sun due to the lovely tones of Vanny's little sweet doggy since 4 miles away someone was awake and so he was compelled to protect his owner. Sweet little lucky-to-be-alive 2 lb thing.

Of course my visions of sleeping would have been null and void anyhow judging by the rustling of the next "room" from two little boys.

So we got up, Vanny insisted on using the percolator to make coffee. Luckily I was smart and brought our grind and brew. I turned on...she heated up. Five minutes later she was grudgingly drinking coffee from the coffee maker while we poured the percolator coffee on the gigantic ant hills cities.

Lil'Guy walked up to me half asleep and told me he had to go to the bathroom so I pointed him to the corner of our campsite. I look over from organizing a tub of cookware and realize that oops....so he didn't mean he had to pee. That was fun times. I mean, I couldn't really get upset since technically I did tell him to go in the corner....but one of the things I never thought I would say as a parent is "NO! I meant PEE, you don't POO in the middle of our campsite!" while Vanny and Jaseph tried not to laugh.
Anyways, we made a breakfast with bacon and eggs, looked like hell and didn't care, then had designated organizing hour and completely re-organized everything by food-to-cook, food-to-snack, cooking tools, and paper stuff (I told you, it's like Vanny and I were just meant to be.) The kids scooted around and played TMNT with sticks, fought, told on each other, made up, fought again, then each got sent to time out for the 109th time that morning. We let them out though so they could help with the dishes.
Traceyomama and her adorable fam showed up and we decided we would do everyone a favor and shower. The showers were really pretty clean (thanks to staying at the macdaddy camp sites). I know it's camping and you are supposed to free it and all but seriously, that shower felt wonderful.

We spent the morning swimming in the lake and making rivers and castles in the sand, then the afternoon dying of heat stroke, eating warm watermelon, and searching for poison Ivy. Traceyomama told us how to identify it (leaves of 3, let it be) and everywhere we looked we found it (which was probably not it at all).  By that evening my parents joined us (they wanted to bring Lil'Guy his new bike) and Vanny's parents joined us. Like the fabulous hosts we are, we then forced Vanny's parents to do all the cooking. It was fabulous.

Until we saw a scorpion.

Then another. Then another.

W.T.F.

After prying Vanny and I off the cab of the truck and convincing us to stop squealing like girls we are at the top of our lungs, the now-dead scorpions were thrown away and a quick google from our phones (charged thanks to the electricity in our campsite) and we found out they actually don't eat people whole in their sleep.

But it gave a fun little game for our gross boy's to play "search for scorpions" the rest of the time. Luckily they understood not to touch them. It was then that we found the ant graveyards. I guess the boiling water over the ant mountains made all the ants rise up and die. Gruesome but with 1400 ant bites on my foot it was oddly satisfying. Traceyomama and her kind-hearted daughter had to turn their heads while our boys thought it was the coolest thing ever and poked and prodded them with sticks.

That night, after the big meal, Traceyomama and Vanny's parents left and the kids were deposited in their beds, we spent the night laughing around the fire and having a few beers sodas. Until we got a visit from the ninja park ranger who we all swear just appeared in the middle of all of us by the fire. He was very nice though and just told us to pour our drinks in cups (no alcohol is allowed, but they said they are fine as long as they don't see the containers) and to quiet it down since it was midnight and it's designated quiet time. He then told us to enjoy ourselves and have a great day. And disappeared into the night like the ninja he was.

I did tell him I have hearing loss so I don't realize when I am loud (true story btw). Then my horrible family and friends all laughed and snorted at me. Rude.

I will say after shutting our yaps it was amazing how quiet the sites were. Oops. We all went to bed giggling and hoping that my dad's full-out snores wouldn't suck in our tent and let the scorpions in to eat us alive.

The next morning we woke up to donuts thanks to Jaseph and coffee thanks to the beautiful automatic coffee maker. Vanny didn't even attempt the percolator though I saw her looking at it longingly and bitterly while drinking her delicious cup of coffee.

Sadly it was time to go. Packing stinks. Being an adult stinks. Know what the kids got to do while we were packing? Play on the playground. Psh. Stinks.

Then my parents took the kids back to KS with them for an ENTIRE WEEK. It was heaven. We did miss them...about an hour before we picked them back up the following Friday. I loved getting that time with Brewerman though. People who say without the kids they have nothing to do or say are so sad, we completely and utterly enjoyed every second of it. We love our kids but with family out of town it's rare that we get a break.

All in all - I pretty much loved it.

There are a few things that you do and the whole world strips away and you are just really present and in that moment. Snow skiing, boating, reading a good book, and now camping.

Now, I will never go without electricity and water. I'm not that hard core, but sleeping under the stars with all the bugs blasting away? Amazing. Waking up and having breakfast outside? Amazing. Staying up late and having a blast just sitting around the fire and gabbing? Amazing. Eating a ton of camping food and convincing yourself you won't gain weight because the sun sucks up all fat and bad carbs? Amazing. Going with friends who are just as anal and organized as you are? Amazing.

We were going to go July 4th, saw the forecast which was triple digits, laughed, and made plans for the fall. Bring it on camping. I can totally do this.

Of course....that is, unless if we have a newborn. *Excited dance*

And no...the social worker still hasn't called. But it's Monday and I won't allow myself to email again until Thursday. And since I made it public I have to stick to my guns.

Which probably means I will email at 5:00 PM today.