Camp Out II
Well it was the end of the summer and after the begging of our boys we decided we better slow down and squeeze in one more campout. This time we went with Cameron’s sister and her family. So we had reinforcements. Our campsite was nestled up against the steep incline of the base of the mountain. A rather cozy campsite with plenty of space to roam and beautiful towering trees. Speaking of roaming it didn’t take long for the boys to do so. They discovered a path that led half way up the steep mountainside and Everest was the first to make the trek up the steep slippery slope. The dirt was thick soft and powdery. He made it up to a small tree that acted as a anchor for him and was pretty high up there. Then it began, he slid all the way down. Edison and their cousin Austin were right behind him in this brilliant adventure. Isaac was right there in the thick of it as well. All of them sliding, skipping, slipping, bouncing, rolling, belly flopping, tumbling and scooting up side down, side ways, backwards, feet first, head first… you name it they did it and then some. Clouds of dirt filled the air along with the thunderous laughter of them and us. By this time the sun had set and Uncle Jason had built a roaring campfire. We couldn’t see the boys anymore. Their faces and clothes were so covered in dirt that they blended in with the night air.
It was a tragic moment but it needed to come to an end. We called them over to the fire and Aunt Karissa had attempted to warm some water but the mountain air had cooled it too quickly to do much good. At least it took the chill out. So there we stripped them one by one doing our best to wipe the dirt out of every nook and krany of their little bodies. They had a dirt layer over their entire body. And once we cleaned that off we discovered another layer of dirt. We were dumping dirt out of their shoes, underwear and diapers and shaking it out of their hair, scooping it out of their ears, I saw the biggest dirt boogers I’ve ever seen. And we discovered it’s possible to have dirt wedgies. (In the morning we still found yet another layer of dirt) After we had stripped ‘em and sponged ‘em down we bundled ‘em up in warm pajamas and then sat them next to the campfire to roast marshmallows. There is just something so mesmerizing about a campfire, it appeals to all of your senses. The crackling and popping, the dancing flames and smoke as it draws up into the heavens. The smell of the wood burning and warmth radiating from the circle of flames is so comforting. It’s all so very soothing giving you a sense of security and peace.
The boys didn’t care too much of the idea of putting a flaming oozing mass of goo in their mouths so they just stuck to the pure enjoyment of watching the marshmallows roast, burn and melt in the flames. Cameron was determined to make the jiffy pop popcorn work. I found the kind that came in foil with a handle. Except we learned that they don’t make them for fires any more. We tried it on the grill and when that didn’t produce any popcorn Cameron tried the flames being careful not to melt the container. When all was said and done there were a few edible kernels amongst the burnt ones. It was a valiant effort though and the few small edible kernels were a reward in itself.
It was bed time and I knew Everest hadn’t gone to the bathroom since arriving. That boy is like a camel, it’s amazing the capacity his bladder has. However, I was determined to get him to go before bed. Wanting to avoid any possible midnight runs to the latrines in the frigid night air. But, he refused to go into the stinky, ‘ol facilities. We brought his old training potty just incase. However, he would not use it even when I demonstrated how I could cover and shield him for privacy. So finally after many words of negotiating and talking turkey he consented to take his port-o-potty into the ‘outhouse’ for privacy. I don’t blame him, though the thought of sitting on (and possibly falling in) a huge hole of disgustingly foul smelling poo is a bit much for a four year old to accept and agree to. Meanwhile we oohed and ahhed at the kabillions of stars out that night. The boys were really impressed the magnificent sight.
That night went rather well compared to our first campout of the summer (see Whhheeee, a previous blog). Isaac actually slept much better with only a couple of bumps through the night. The other two were so excited to be in the tent they did their happy happy joy dance for a good twenty minutes while they ran circles around the tent. Finally after sheer exhaustion and a story or two they fell fast asleep. It was rather warm in the tent with all of our bodies acting as a heater, it wasn’t as cold as I was expecting. Thankfully.
At breakfast we had another warm fire and sat around relaxing and watching the boys melt leaves in the campfire. We went down to the creek to float their boats that Cameron had widdled for them the night before and then we started packing up camp. When I realized it was diaper duty time. I took Isaac to the car to change him and in doing so I didn’t realize he was still chewing on some food. So as I laid him on his back and started changing away, he started to choke a little. Quickly I scooped him up, pants down and all, put him over my knee as I was kneeling beside the car, and began to gently whack on his back. Just then a woman was walking by on her way to the latrines when she looked up at Isaac screaming as I’m whacking him. By the look of horror and shock on her face she must have wondered what this poor baby could have possibly done to deserve a spanking on his bare bum either that or man, that mother sure is tough when it comes to discipline. Probably more like what an abusive mother that is. Though it was awkward at the moment I can now chuckle a little.
Once we were done we all went for a hike. It was pleasant and enjoyable but, too close to nap time. So we headed back to the campsite and loaded every one in the already packed car and headed back down the mountain. Asking ourselves, why haven’t we done that more often?
Well it was the end of the summer and after the begging of our boys we decided we better slow down and squeeze in one more campout. This time we went with Cameron’s sister and her family. So we had reinforcements. Our campsite was nestled up against the steep incline of the base of the mountain. A rather cozy campsite with plenty of space to roam and beautiful towering trees. Speaking of roaming it didn’t take long for the boys to do so. They discovered a path that led half way up the steep mountainside and Everest was the first to make the trek up the steep slippery slope. The dirt was thick soft and powdery. He made it up to a small tree that acted as a anchor for him and was pretty high up there. Then it began, he slid all the way down. Edison and their cousin Austin were right behind him in this brilliant adventure. Isaac was right there in the thick of it as well. All of them sliding, skipping, slipping, bouncing, rolling, belly flopping, tumbling and scooting up side down, side ways, backwards, feet first, head first… you name it they did it and then some. Clouds of dirt filled the air along with the thunderous laughter of them and us. By this time the sun had set and Uncle Jason had built a roaring campfire. We couldn’t see the boys anymore. Their faces and clothes were so covered in dirt that they blended in with the night air.
It was a tragic moment but it needed to come to an end. We called them over to the fire and Aunt Karissa had attempted to warm some water but the mountain air had cooled it too quickly to do much good. At least it took the chill out. So there we stripped them one by one doing our best to wipe the dirt out of every nook and krany of their little bodies. They had a dirt layer over their entire body. And once we cleaned that off we discovered another layer of dirt. We were dumping dirt out of their shoes, underwear and diapers and shaking it out of their hair, scooping it out of their ears, I saw the biggest dirt boogers I’ve ever seen. And we discovered it’s possible to have dirt wedgies. (In the morning we still found yet another layer of dirt) After we had stripped ‘em and sponged ‘em down we bundled ‘em up in warm pajamas and then sat them next to the campfire to roast marshmallows. There is just something so mesmerizing about a campfire, it appeals to all of your senses. The crackling and popping, the dancing flames and smoke as it draws up into the heavens. The smell of the wood burning and warmth radiating from the circle of flames is so comforting. It’s all so very soothing giving you a sense of security and peace.
The boys didn’t care too much of the idea of putting a flaming oozing mass of goo in their mouths so they just stuck to the pure enjoyment of watching the marshmallows roast, burn and melt in the flames. Cameron was determined to make the jiffy pop popcorn work. I found the kind that came in foil with a handle. Except we learned that they don’t make them for fires any more. We tried it on the grill and when that didn’t produce any popcorn Cameron tried the flames being careful not to melt the container. When all was said and done there were a few edible kernels amongst the burnt ones. It was a valiant effort though and the few small edible kernels were a reward in itself.
It was bed time and I knew Everest hadn’t gone to the bathroom since arriving. That boy is like a camel, it’s amazing the capacity his bladder has. However, I was determined to get him to go before bed. Wanting to avoid any possible midnight runs to the latrines in the frigid night air. But, he refused to go into the stinky, ‘ol facilities. We brought his old training potty just incase. However, he would not use it even when I demonstrated how I could cover and shield him for privacy. So finally after many words of negotiating and talking turkey he consented to take his port-o-potty into the ‘outhouse’ for privacy. I don’t blame him, though the thought of sitting on (and possibly falling in) a huge hole of disgustingly foul smelling poo is a bit much for a four year old to accept and agree to. Meanwhile we oohed and ahhed at the kabillions of stars out that night. The boys were really impressed the magnificent sight.
That night went rather well compared to our first campout of the summer (see Whhheeee, a previous blog). Isaac actually slept much better with only a couple of bumps through the night. The other two were so excited to be in the tent they did their happy happy joy dance for a good twenty minutes while they ran circles around the tent. Finally after sheer exhaustion and a story or two they fell fast asleep. It was rather warm in the tent with all of our bodies acting as a heater, it wasn’t as cold as I was expecting. Thankfully.
At breakfast we had another warm fire and sat around relaxing and watching the boys melt leaves in the campfire. We went down to the creek to float their boats that Cameron had widdled for them the night before and then we started packing up camp. When I realized it was diaper duty time. I took Isaac to the car to change him and in doing so I didn’t realize he was still chewing on some food. So as I laid him on his back and started changing away, he started to choke a little. Quickly I scooped him up, pants down and all, put him over my knee as I was kneeling beside the car, and began to gently whack on his back. Just then a woman was walking by on her way to the latrines when she looked up at Isaac screaming as I’m whacking him. By the look of horror and shock on her face she must have wondered what this poor baby could have possibly done to deserve a spanking on his bare bum either that or man, that mother sure is tough when it comes to discipline. Probably more like what an abusive mother that is. Though it was awkward at the moment I can now chuckle a little.
Once we were done we all went for a hike. It was pleasant and enjoyable but, too close to nap time. So we headed back to the campsite and loaded every one in the already packed car and headed back down the mountain. Asking ourselves, why haven’t we done that more often?
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