Camping!

My parents never took me camping as a kid.  Yes I grew up in Minnesota, where one learns to canoe before one learns to ride a bike.  However, it just wasn’t our thing.  A steak dinner and a night a the theater?  That’s us.  Hot dogs at a hockey game? That has the Goldens written all over it.  Communing with nature?  Not so much.

I am definitely a city girl – a bit on the high maintenance side.  However, I love the idea of camping.  Since I moved to CA, I’ve had several awesome camping experiences.  Although I’d prefer a four star hotel, I’ve come to appreciate the peaceful and energizing experience of spending time away from creature comforts.  Therefore, I decided a long time ago that my kids were going to be exposed to outdoor activities whether it was my cup of tea or not.

This past weekend was our first foray into the world of camping as a family, and it was fabulous!  I do have a disclaimer, however.  We were not exactly roughing it.  There were plenty of those creature comforts – electricity, plumbing, swimming pool.  But honestly, having three year old twins is roughing it enough, don’t you think?  We deserved a few handy resources to make things go smoothly.  And go smoothly they did!

We spent the weekend with two other twin families, bringing the grand total of first-time three year old campers to six.  Add in Kate and Lucy, the Jensen’s older girls, and it was quite a troupe.  It was great sharing this experience with friends.  The kids had a great time together.

We stayed at Indian Hills Campground in lovely Jamul.  We chose the Teepee Village in which to reside.  Each family had their own genuine teepee (genuine except for the florescent light that was plugged into the side of it).  The boys loved it, and I must admit, so did I.  It was a great environment for the kids as they ran from teepee to teepee with their friends.

Ethan soon discovered that dirt was everywhere, providing him with the perfect excuse to get it all over himself.  I think he had been waiting for this all of his three and a half years.  With great joy he created dirt angels and kept himself filthy the whole time.

He also jumped right in to boulder climbing. 

He really seemed to be in his element. 

Lucas enjoyed being outside as well, but focused on snacking.  No doubt he’s my kid. 

He also seemed to especially enjoy time spent exploring with Megan and playing in the pool with Chris.  He really enjoys his friends’ parents – it is great to watch. 

Which brings me to another great part of the trip – Chris Babcock’s inexhaustible game playing with the kids.  Several times all the other parents would be sitting down watching Chris entertain the kids.  He should be on everyone’s camping supply list!

It was hot when we first arrived, so we headed to the pool.  On the way we discovered a fabulous playground complete with the longest slide we had ever seen.  Loads of fun to be had! 

 

The pool was great as well – 2 feet deep so the kids could swim by themselves while the parents relaxed a bit.

The evening was done in perfect camping style – dinner, campfire, s’mores, and getting cozy in our new sleeping bags. 

The boys were out like a light.

We had some visitors during the night.  A mouse was heard trying to break in.  This bug was more successful, making his way inside. 

And something bit me.  I still don’t know what, but it hurt.

Did I mention that the campsite had a farmyard within it?  Probably not, since I didn’t think much about it until the predawn crowing of the rooster began.  It’s call was soon answered by the surprisingly frantic, given its daily occurrence, sounding of all the other farm animals.  We all managed to get back to sleep.

The next day was fun, with more food, playground and pool.  This was such a great time, and such a painless introduction to camping, that we plan to go back again soon.  Hopefully it is only the beginning of a wonderful relationship between my boys and the great outdoors.