We went camping, and it was fantastic. I've decided that should be one of those things they require to get your parenting license. (What? You didn't have to get a license?) There are benefits of camping you simply cannot match in your home, like encouraging that friend who just watched her child pick something out of the dirt and put it in her mouth with a laid back, "hey, it's organic!" and then hearing her echo it to another squeamish mama later. That, my friends, is priceless. So are some other great memories of our weekend...
- S'mores. Simply put, there are few better reasons to go camping. My friend asked me if whole-wheat graham crackers make them a health food. "Only if you use my dark chocolate," I quipped.
- The only thing better than s'mores is plain roasted marshmallows, which I love. Perhaps it's the process as much as the treat, really. I love roasting them slowly, turning constantly so they're just barely golden and perfectly molten inside. Mr. Kenobi likes to start them on fire and eat the crunchy part... eeeeewww!
- "Airplanes! Look at all the airplanes!" My Obi-1, now nearly 4, was amazed by the bright lights above him on the first night. Oh, dear - we have an urban boy. "Those are stars," his daddy corrected.
- Counting the stars - after explaining they're not airplanes - is an amazing way to see my son connect with the bible story we read a few weeks ago. Genesis 15:5-6 tells a beautiful story about Abraham, and we memorized a related verse from Galatians. To see that story, the amazing largeness of creation, and the promises of God come together in my son's mind was beautiful.
- Hanging out around the campfire with other grownups... after everyone's kids were sleeping. Every bit of packing, organizing, cleaning, laundry, and too-thin-camping-mats was worth it to get to know these precious friends better.
- Coffee. Delivered hot & fresh in a French Press from friends next "door."
- Simplified housekeeping. Boiling water, biodegradable soap, four plates, four utensils, four cups, a pan, and some dish towels. Dishes were done after every meal, and took only a few minutes and little water. I am reminded of how wasteful our home life can be when I look at the little hands reaching for his fourth new cup of the day!
- Simplified housekeeping, part II. Sure, you can wear those shorts again today! What's three days in the same clothes?
- Swimming - er, wading - in the river. It was all of 60 degrees, so quite refreshing, if you will. The boys were warned sternly of the dangers of rivers:
"You can only go to the river with Mama or Daddy. If you go by yourself, you could fall in and get water up your nose!"
My friends' child is not nearly so cautious (she can swim!) and needed a more convincing warning:"If you go in without us, you could get swept down the river and never see Mama again!"
Therapy with that s'more, anyone? :) - Snakes (that I didn't see, thankfully!), weird cartoon-looking caterpillars (orange with "fake eyes" painted on their backs), and baboons hiding in the grass by our site (actually, that's how he said "bamboo," but who's getting picky on pronunciation?) Ahhh, nature. It's exactly the kind of stuff you need to get out of the city to see.
- Our first real hike - on foot for everyone. Both Obi's did great. We only went about 1 hour, and probably covered less than a mile, but it was a good introduction (read: everyone had fun) to hiking without carrying a boy in the backpack.
- Sleeping in the tent. Under the stars. With the breeze gently blowing through (or emphatically, as it did Saturday) and the whole Kenobi clan nestled into our sleeping bags.
- Shared meals in lawn chairs. New friends and stronger friendships emerged from our weekend, often borne out of pot-luck style meals in the shade of our campsite.
I've decided on a new business idea for my lists (I'll explain later). Make fun of me if you want, but things are ready for our next outing and the hardest part was finding our tent. Now that the weekend is behind us, we're looking forward to the next outing. Perhaps you'll join us!
2 comments:
All I can say is, at least she'll still be alive to benefit from that therapy. : ) Great list. I ate the last of the ww graham crackers yesterday and I STILL think they taste JUST FINE.
Monica,
Yes - indeed. She's a sweet girl that didn't seem phased at all by the warnings or the whole wheat. As for ww grahams, I didn't think they tasted any different (yummy!) with marshmallows & chocolate.
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