camping, part uno

I.love.camping. My first camping experience was the summer before grade 9, with my youth group from church. It wasn't filled with awesome memories (I didn't know a lot of people, and ended up being in a tent with someone who was about as unpopular as me, a leader, and the youth pastor's wife - all I remember about the 2 nights is the youth pastor's wife saying she had heard having kids felt like having your arm ripped off), but I love the great outdoors, and always have. I love the heat of the sun, the caress of the wind, the shade of trees, the smell of cut grass, sun rises and sun sets, the stars in a dark sky unspoiled by city lights.....I could go on and on. To me, camping is the ultimate way to experience everything our Creator made for us to enjoy (though I really like cottaging too). 

Ben and I went camping many times as a couple before kids. Though I didn't spend much time thinking about it, I had no idea how different camping would be with kids. We took Rowyn camping when she was 18 months old (to the Pinery), and had a great time. Ro loves the water, and she loves playing with dirt and sand. She was pretty much in her glory. She napped pretty well, stayed up a little later at night, but then slept through the night. Ro was up pretty early due to the early daylight. I remember wandering around the park with her, trying to kill time until other campers started to stir. Last summer, at 2 1/2 years of age, camping was an adventure. Late nights, early mornings, naps on the beach, campfires roasting marshmallows and hot dogs, eating her first s'more...by our third trip camping, the Smith family was in their groove (though it POURED rain every day). 

Fast forward to mid-July 2011, our first time camping with a 7 month old. I thought it would be pretty easy......

It was my goal to snap photos of everything so I could share an amazing post. Instead, I snapped no photos, so you get to see the pics my most talented hubbie took. 

Here we are, almost done setting up. Vi discovered the sand (yummy), and Ro was begging to go to the beach. 

Here are beach photos:

 Notice the white pop-up tent? That was our headquarters. It was awesome and the shade was much needed!

Our poser. 

Our big girl who can sit up. 

The Smith gals (minus Dawn and Danica - we miss you!!!!)

Now for the nitty-gritty. Our camping trip was full of GREAT things and AWFUL things. GREAT things included: awesome family time, yummy food, no rain, clear skies at night, premium campsite just over the dune from the beach. Let me share the awful....

Night 1 Ro asked to go to bed at 8:30. Vi was asleep around 7:45, and I thought, "Sweet! I'm going to get some time around the fire, kid-free!" Joke was on me! First off, Vi woke up when Ro was going to bed and stayed awake, laughing and screaming at her sister until around 10ish. Ro didn't fall asleep until 10:30. The mosquitoes ATTACKED and PILLAGED me at dusk so I ran for cover (in our tent). Good thing I ate a s'more early. Ro insisted on sleeping on the "comfortable" air mattress with Ben, so I slept on the thermarest on the ground. Vi joined me at 3:30 and slept until 6:50. Not too bad, but not great either. LESSONS LEARNED: perhaps the pack 'n play wasn't the best sleep solution for Vi. We decided to try the stroller the next night. Keep Ro up later. 

Night 2: we put Vi in her stroller and I walked around until she fell asleep (around 8:30). We decided to keep Ro up until 9:30 so she could enjoy the campfire and play some more with her cousins. Ben and I decided to avoid the mosquito onslaught and went to bed at the same time. Success one - Vi stayed asleep!! Success two - Ro fell asleep right away!! Then our neighbours got REALLY noisy so Ben and I didn't fall asleep until around 11 (one of our nieces was having a little trouble too so she kept calling for her sister who was in another tent which also kept us awake - no biggie). I was pretty optimisitic that night 2 was going to be way better than night 1. Then 12:08 happened. Ro woke up hysterical. Correction - she didn't wake up. She was just hysterical. Yup, a good ole' night terror while camping. After 50 minutes of hysterical crying, both Ben and I losing our cool at different times (yup, I told my kid to shut up), then a request to pee where I got torn apart by the blinkin' mosquitoes since I was in my sports bra and undies, Ro had woken up her sister, couldn't settle down, and had actually urinated LOADS in our tent. No problem. Jiggle Vi, try to console Ro, put dirty clothes over the urine and we would deal with them in the morning.....but when Ro wouldn't settle down, we did what we thought we needed to do. We cut our loses, wrapped Vi in a a blanket, Ro in a sheet, and made a mad dash to the van to come home. Yup, that's right. We left Long Point at 1:22 am and got home to Oakville at 3:30. The girls slept the whole way (Ro settled down right away), and then Vi, after waking up in the transfer and feeding, slept until 8:30. Ro woke up at 10. We then headed back to pack up our stuff, enjoy the beach for a little bit, and then head home. Again. 

What does one say? What doesn't one say? All I can say is that it was another adventure, to be talked about for years to come. Camping trip numero uno ended. Done. On Monday we head out again. Stay tuned......

Wondering if camping trip numero deux could get worse (surely not??!!),

Tam