We went camping this weekend. Not exactly a wild weekend, but to us, it was certainly an experience. We are not novice campers; we used to go camping quite often. Before children. Aaaahhh...what a difference! I will always remember our first camping experience, we were both still in our teens and had only been going out together for a few weeks. It was a wild weekend, with lots of beer and loud music, as we partied with a bunch of biker guys we hooked up with (guys with nicknames like Mad Dog and Hatchetman). The whole weekend was wet and weird. Not really a 'true camping' experience.
Our second camping excursion was much different, we decided to go without any 'party buddies' and just spend some quiet time with each other. In retrospect, I realize that we were fated to be together for life; any relationship that could last through a weekend like that was bound to survive. We had no car, so my father dropped us at the campground and we were on our own. Talk about novice campers! We bought a bundle of logs from the camp office and realized, too late, that we'd brought no paper, kindling or for that matter, an axe. And then it started to rain. I will always remember the sight of poor John hunched over the fire pit, trying to make a fire and finally producing a small smoky, smouldering blaze. I threw the hamburgs on, turned them over and ate them, practically raw. I didn't care; I was famished.
From there, our camping experiences could only get better, and they did. We became fairly proficient campers and enjoyed many relaxing weekends in front of the campfire, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends. But never with children.
Our eldest daughter turned seven this year. The last time we'd been camping was about a year after she was born, and we left her with relatives for the weekend. Due to having been pregnant the year before, we hadn't been camping for at least a year and were quite dismayed to find that our tent had rotted... Since we'd driven some distance, we didn't want to turn around and couldn't afford to just buy a new one. So we patched the holes with tape and garbage bags and, luckily, it didn't rain! But it was a most nerve-racking weekend, because the campground at night became racoon heaven, and I was afraid one would tear through the garbage bags and come visit up close and personal! That didn't happen, although our friend Marie did get charged by a raccoon as she lay in the tent watching them. She had the presence of mind to grab her camera and set off the flash in its face, which frightened it away. That was a pretty memorable weekend.
But...this weekend we took the children. All of them.
I'm not sure whether that makes us brave...or stupid. At least we were wise enough to (a) go to a campground close to home, and (b) make arrangements with the babysitter...just in case.
For the most part, it was a good weekend, with only a few snags. First of all, we spent far too much money. Not having gone camping for a number of years, we had to buy just about everything. This at least we had anticipated...it was the lightning and thunder storm we hadn't quite counted on! What an introduction to camping for our three girls! At about 2:00 a.m. I woke up to a particularly loud crash of thunder and saw the baby sitting straight up, eyes as big as saucers, staring around in wonder. She didn't really seem afraid, just filled with curiosity. Or perhaps it was sheer terror, I'm not sure. Whatever it was, none of us got much sleep that night!
The next morning we decided that we were not going to be able to relax as long as there was a twenty-month-old trying to get in touch with nature...orally. It was frightening enough keeping her away from the fire pit, but trying to keep all the plants, dirt and bugs from her mouth was just too much. And she was cranky; this is a child who likes routine. So we packed her off to the babysitter's house, and half-guiltily had a blast for the rest of the weekend. The two older girls loved being able to freely explore and made a number of friends. One thing we had never needed before and packed as an afterthought came in very handy - the emergency first aid kit. Three skinned knees and a cut toe later, we were glad we'd thrown it in.
After an idyllic afternoon at the beach, we lazed around the campfire while the girls "splored", then we had a great supper of steak, hamburgers, baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms...all cooked over the open flame. There is nothing better in this world. As night fell, we roasted marshmallows and weiners and just generally felt at peace with the world. The girls declared it was the best holiday they'd ever had. The next half-day was denouement, a gentle glide back to the reality of life.
