I rather impulsively made the decision to take my kids camping tonight. The thought came, I said yes, and we were packed and setting off in one hour. The local lake is about a 45 minute drive from where we live. We made one stop for some needed supplies, then headed out to utilize what remained of the daylight.
This is the first time I have ever camped with my children. Just the three of us; it's been a real treat. The kids and I talked about the nice features we would like in our campsite, then they helped me choose a location that suited all of us. When we arrived I quickly began to unpack the car and I sent Romeo and Juliet off in search of kindling and firewood. I set up the tent, and while getting the bedding ready I was joined by my children. Stretching out padding and blankets (I invested in some foam pad and a self-inflating air pad) quickly became a challenging task with my 3 year old rolling around the tent. For the first time I can ever remember he is excited and already talking about bed time. This is exciting news; let's hope it sticks.
I help collect more limbs and sticks for the fire, and get some nice flames going fairly quickly. It doesn't take long to figure out we will burn through our wood collection in no time. We do however, have plenty of time to make s'mores first. Then we loaded back up to stop and pay our camp fees and head to a gas station for some actual wood and a bag of ice.
My son rides through the park in the front seat with a map of the park. He dictates directions while he points to spots on the map and talks about the places we will go. He's so matter-of-fact, certain, and expressive. Pair all that with his adorable little baby face and pretty curls, and what you have is a little guy who is so cute you can hardly resist laughing at his antics.
When we get back to the camp site we get a real fire going, and we sit around the fire eating, talking, and laughing together. My daughter is naturally inclined to be cautious and not take many risks. I can already see that we need to start taking camping adventures and the like more often, as I can see the experiences drawing her out of her shell. She learned a little bit about laughing at herself and letting things roll off rather than getting upset. She learned about solitude and the inner strength it can illuminate. I learned that she is eager and good at playing keeper of the flames. Next time we come out this way (maybe next weekend?) we will make it a longer trip so I can take the kids hiking as well....
0 comments:
Post a Comment