Camping

This weekend was our first camping trip with the kids. We started our Saturday with swimming lessons and encountered our first hitch in the day. The teacher for Ty's parent and child class didn't show up. Kaitlyn's class was finished by the time the replacement got there. But the kids always have fun in the water and it was ok.

A quick stop for last minute supplies, home to finish packing up, then it was off to the mountain. I guess Sam and I have different ideas about "casual camping." I was picturing somewhere a bit off the road, by some water preferably, with a picnic table and outhouses waiting for us. But not knowing the area very well I let Sam pick our camping spot. After a long, nerve wracking drive (for myself and the kids - Sam thought it was fun) we made it to what I will admit was a very pretty spot by Pyramid Lake.

We set up everything then went fishing. Didn't catch anything but enjoyed the time outdoors. And the kids had a great time exploring. At one point, one of the other people there found a worm and brought it over to us to offer to let us fish with it. Kaitlyn immediatly claimed the worm and started hunting for something to put it in to take it home, while we tried to convince her it would be better off to let it go or try to fish with it. In frustration she told us "This is the way my life is! I like bugs...and worms." Sam and I had a hard time not laughing at that one. But she finally did give up on finding a suitable container and let Sam put "Wormy" on a hook.

Once everyone tired of fishing (no fish caught) we went back to the campsite to light the fire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows. And Kaitlyn was able to fulfull her wish of "sitting on a log by the fire" (not sure why that was stuck in her head, but all week she had been talking about sitting on a log by the fire). She was also brave enough to try roasting marshmallows on her own and did a perfect job. And Tyler, well he loved helping roast things but was (once again) content to leave the hot dog on his plate and eat chips for dinner, along with eating only deconstructed smores (especially the chocolate!).

We didn't leave technology totally behind. When Sam and I had had enough of supervising the kids and needed a break we sent them into the tent with the portable DVD player to watch a movie until bedtime.

I think the only one that slept well that night was Kaitlyn. She lists "sleeping in a sleeping bag" as her favorite thing from the trip. But the rest of us had a restless night, including Ty who ended up spending the last of it in my sleeping bag. He did, however, make up for it by sleeping in a lot the next morning. The rest of us ate breakfast and Kaitlyn and Sam headed back to the lake for fishing while Tyler slept away most of the morning.

Katy and Sam returned to camp fish-less. So we packed up, survived the drive down the mountain, and stopped to do a little fishing at the Fun Fishing place by the fish hatchery. Sam was determined that the kids would see what happens when you actually catch a fish. And in less than 15 minutes we had 2 good sized ones in our bucket. Kaitlyn thought it was great and even helped reel one in. Tyler liked looking at them in the pond but once we plopped them into the bucket and they started flopping around he ran away squealing. Too cute. :)

Then we headed home to hose off all the bug spray and dirt.