We took the boys on our first family camping trip this weekend. The YMCA we frequent is working to establish its own "circle" of Adventure Guides, which I am told is somewhat of an alternative to Boy Scouts. It intends to encourage parents and their children to engage together in activities, rather than the parents just passively watching their kids play or sending them off to have experiences in groups or on their own.
Each month since September, they have offered organized camping trips to different parks in central Texas, but Alex's travel schedule made it impossible for us to participate so far. Honestly I don't think I was really ready to tackle camping as a family yet, so I didn't push it too hard. But after talking to my friend Anna about her plans to take her family on this trip, it seemed like a good time to try it out. Alex was game and the boys were immediately on board.
We borrowed a tent and a few supplies from a neighbor who camps often, and loaded up the car. I started to have doubts that we could fit it all in one car, but Alex was adamant that we only take one. We made it, but barely!
The boys were THRILLED about our trip and couldn't wait to leave. Alex had a few conference calls to wrap up before we left, but the boys decided the best place to wait was in the car. They strapped themselves in and hung out for at least 20 minutes before we were actually ready to leave.
It was just an hour-long drive to Buescher State Park, during which Nick napped and Max enjoyed tracking our journey on Google Maps. We found our site and got to work, unpacking the car and setting up our tent! Nick was a HUGE help ;)
Tah Dah!
The two nights we spent there were very cold. We're talking lows in the mid-30's. We had the boys in their warmest pjs and bundled in warm sleeping bags and a thick blanket on top, but it was still quite cold. Soon after they fell asleep, they at least looked relatively comfortable (and very cute)...
But by the coldest hours of the morning, they ended up snuggling where it was REALLY warm - Daddy's sleeping bag. This didn't actually happen until after we were all awake and starting to stir, but I'll admit it. I was jealous. They looked (and probably were) much warmer than I was!
But, sweet relief in the form of yummy coffee was not far away. Props to my sister and her wife for the most excellent Christmas present, one that made a smooth cup of coffee a possibility during our camping trip.
After some yummy breakfast by Anna and her husband Jimmy, it was time to really get in touch with nature. Best way to do that? Take your Buzz Lightyear and SpongeBob SquarePants fishing poles with plastic weights, and go fishing! They took this very seriously.
Max actually got really good at casting his line, and I nearly squealed from the cuteness when he beckoned the fish with a plea, "Come here, Fishies! Free Food, Fishies!"
Jimmy brought *real* bait and showed his son, James, and Max what worms look like.
Alex took the opportunity to stretch out and relax in the sun, and Nick does what he does best... run! (he's the red dot in the middle of the pic below)
Max read about different kinds of knots...
Then it was time for the derby car races! The boys had full creative input on their cars, but other than Nick helping with the base-coat painting of his, they were primarily assembled by their more senior assistants. Some of the cars in the race had been clearly given significantly more thought and time than ours, but we had a great time anyway.
Nick's car was Superman-themed, with his favorite colors (which happened to be the paint colors Grandad had recently purchased and used to refinish a set of kid table and chairs at his house). Max's car was a "Bad Piggies" car, based on his current favorite iPhone game.
That night we hung out with our "circle", the Southwest Nature Guests. Anna came up with that name and a great circle song that we practiced together a few times. As the sun went down the campfire snake walk began. The camping trip organizers greeted each circle at their respective campsites and led the campers on a wandering walk to gathering everyone for a big community campfire. Max later said this was his favorite part of the trip, which I think is pretty neat.
We closed the night out with more hanging out as a circle, followed by reluctant retreat from our warm campfire. I know the cold that night that followed was not anyone's favorite part, but we made it - this time each of us wearing many more layers than the night before.
It is no secret that our children are very social. With Alex following along, Nick made the rounds and met pretty much everyone who was camping near by. On our last morning, Nick befriended a gaggle of pre-teen girls and they gleefully took him under their wing. We made good use of the time to take down the tent and pack everything up again. They thought he was "soooooo cute!"
We had a wonderful time! We'd love to camp again, but Max's soccer schedule will make it difficult to attend either of the remaining Adventure Guides trips this year. Definitely next Fall! In the meantime, there are many wonderful parks we can visit on our own, and we have a nice back yard that could easily host a very low-key camping trip...
