Labor Day Camping

Sunday afternoon was already nice, we took a little drive around town in the beautiful weather with the windows down.  We listened to good music and tried to hunt down a place where my husband could get fried chicken and I could get macaroni and cheese.  No luck in that unfortunately, so instead we ran to Walmart for a frozen pizza, a gallon of ice cream and a Redbox movie.  (And, of course, a 5-pack of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.)

When we got home, my husband got to work on setting up his old tent in the front yard and Annika and I got to work on cooking all our crappy, fun, processed goodness.  Then, after a quick dinner and showers inside, we loaded up with pillows and ice cream and hiked the sidewalk down to our campsite.

We cuddled up (it was sincerely cold outside) and watched Rio on Annika's portable DVD player until it died 30 minutes before the movie's end.  At that point, it was at least 11 p.m. and very dark outside.  We got situated in our little beds and Annika fell asleep almost immediately.  My husband and I, on the other hand, did not have such an easy time.

We have a high-sensitivity motion light on our front porch and a yard full of critters, so every time a squirrel sneezed, that light flipped on and stayed on for 12 minutes. So, for 12 minutes, I held my covers up under my chin and prayed that we were safe from predators... but the darkness was also full of rowdy college kids speeding down Mission Ave. and gaggles of geese across the street, honking and flapping their way around the cemetery.  I refused to complain though, because I love the feeling of waking up in a tent and stepping out into the morning sun.  Victory would come!

Unfortunately, as I tossed in the noisy night, my husband was laying awake on a deflated air mattress struggling to breath through his allergy-ridden sinuses.  Around 2 a.m., realizing we were both still awake, we decided to finish out the night indoors.  Annika, who was sleeping like a champ on her first night in a tent, barely protested as we hauled her inside and plopped her softly down in her bed.

And of course, first thing in the early morning, we hurried back down to the tent.  In fact, more than once that day we found ourselves back in the tent, playing and reading books in the shady breeze.  It was kind of sad to have to tear it down at the end of the day, but it was a great test-run for our very first family camping trip!  (Note to self: next time, be sure to pack allergy meds and warmer socks.)

Going in the tent for the first time

Everyone's bed fits!

Cookies and Cream...mmm...

Cuddling the next morning

Reading "Stories from Thimbleberry Lane" by Cynthia Rylant

Jumping on the beds

Exploring for rocks and sticks while Mom and Dad relax

How are these air mattresses so comfortable now?

Static Electricity!