Heavy-warm-brown eyes twinkled staring deep into my own and with an honest, and loving tone Ethan joyfully proclaimed "Mommy, thank you so much for letting us sleep in the tent all night."
His gratitude was worth the back-pain from the hard, uneven ground (Jacob and I had relinquished the air-mattress to the kids). Their excitement and delight was too great to disappoint them by forcing them trade and sleep on the "bed" we had fashioned from sleeping bags for them.
It was our first camp-out with the kids. The back-yard was sufficient, after-all it is an island, a jungle, a forest, and a dessert, the ideal spot to pitch a tent and "rough-it". We applied copious amounts of "bug-screen"(as Ethan called it) and lit a "fire" (Citronella candle) to ward-away the mosquitoes. Marshmallows roasted on sticks over a real wood fire, contained within the smoker, created the gooey-sticky center to our chocolaty bedtime snack (smores). Charlie's turtle cast green and blue stars and moon shapes on the ceiling of the tent and our lantern lit the pages of Dr. Seuss. Tongue tied we recited rhymes until the darkness of night enveloped us and it was time for sleep. We only had to remind you "heads on pillow" and threaten moving inside a handful of times before you settled into your covers and let your eyelids close.
The pictures I captured will remind me of this fun first, but nothing can compare to the memory or fully describe the joy that illuminated your faces this cool, peaceful summer night. It was a wonderful campout.
His gratitude was worth the back-pain from the hard, uneven ground (Jacob and I had relinquished the air-mattress to the kids). Their excitement and delight was too great to disappoint them by forcing them trade and sleep on the "bed" we had fashioned from sleeping bags for them.
It was our first camp-out with the kids. The back-yard was sufficient, after-all it is an island, a jungle, a forest, and a dessert, the ideal spot to pitch a tent and "rough-it". We applied copious amounts of "bug-screen"(as Ethan called it) and lit a "fire" (Citronella candle) to ward-away the mosquitoes. Marshmallows roasted on sticks over a real wood fire, contained within the smoker, created the gooey-sticky center to our chocolaty bedtime snack (smores). Charlie's turtle cast green and blue stars and moon shapes on the ceiling of the tent and our lantern lit the pages of Dr. Seuss. Tongue tied we recited rhymes until the darkness of night enveloped us and it was time for sleep. We only had to remind you "heads on pillow" and threaten moving inside a handful of times before you settled into your covers and let your eyelids close.
The pictures I captured will remind me of this fun first, but nothing can compare to the memory or fully describe the joy that illuminated your faces this cool, peaceful summer night. It was a wonderful campout.
1 comment:
I've enjoyed reading what you've written. I've definitely been there and done that when it comes to camping. Children make a lot of things worth it.
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