The last time we went tent camping was 3 years ago in Abant, Turkey. We were with our dear friends, the Taylors, and I remember their 3 children ending up in the tent with us by morning while Jason and Sara slept dreamily nearby. This time we were wise enough to fill our tent with air matresses and a playpen.
Last time we camped near "resident campers" who moved house and home, including refrigerators and TVs underneath their makeshift canvas "tents." I felt relatively simple plugging my fan into the closest electrical outlet and running the extension cord to a few feet from our tent to drown out ambient noises, like the 5am Call To Prayer. This time, we had our own sound machine of running water and very few fellow campers! It was glorious.
Last time Chris and Jason went on a walk for firewood and ended up in a village receiving fresh cheese that squeaked and homemade milk that Sara drank happily. This time we were able to buy bags of ice and bundles of firewood to last several days.
Last time I was in the middle of potty training Ella and remember bolting through the woods to the squatty potty, only to have a terrified 2 year old refuse to go while squatting. This time Ella finally learned and cooperated in going pee camp-style in the woods.
I have a vague memory of someone coming home sick last time and the village milk being blamed... I could be wrong.
But this time sickness was upon us again. The girls and I had only joined the boys for one day when Aidan woke up with stomach pains at 1am. By the end of the next day we wondered if he might burst his appendix and decided to strike camp and head home. We left at 8pm. Sophie began throwing up in the carseat at 9pm. By the time we got back to Seattle at 11 we were seriously questioning the value of our trip.
I'll have to say though, once the 20,000 loads of wash were done and the 2 cycles of dishes, and the tent reopened to refold since we had just shoved it into the car, and Sophie's seat taken apart to scour, and after another day of Aidan being in pain... I have to say that I'd do it again.
Maybe even next weekend?
4 comments:
Oh, I'm so sorry you had some sick kids, but it sounds like it was still amazing! I have such incredible memories of camping with my family growing up, some of my favorite family memories! LOVE the pictures!
Dear dear Beth, I just love reading your blogs--I laugh, cry, and sigh all in one sitting! We just purchased 2 tents and plan to camp in our country too... Hope that your family is back to health now.
Love you, Alicia
PS I think that I know the Taylors from before they got married--is he a tall basketball player?
Beth,
Camping always seems to be an adventure! We haven't braved it yet with kids but we are anxious to give it a shot. Jason and I camped for a portion of our honeymoon... I'll have to tell you about that sometime. It was, to say the least, an adventure! Glad you're back and everyone is well. Thanks for posting.
Good to hear you all are out in the woods again! We imagined camping this summer, but realized five people with two pack-n-plays would be awfully complicated. The big boys have a trip planned in August, but Owen and I will wait until next summer.
You'd probably enjoy this funny/thoughtful article I read recently in the same vein as your post: http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/article/art-of-camping.html
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