Camping

When we moved into this house, D started a tradition of setting up a tent for N to "camp in.' Which, back then, meant N would play in the tent during the day and he'd sleep in his own bed at night. For some reason, D started this tradition in June and for the past couple of years has continued to do it in June. However, this year June didn't work out. I can't remember why it didn't work out. The sweltering heat may have been the main reason. Anyway. Tonight is our first time to camp in October and I think this is our new time of year to do it. The sun goes down much earlier, so the boys can play in the tent when it's dark, the mosquitos are gone (thank you to the frost we had the other day), and it's much cooler outside! This year is the first year N is attempting to sleep outside. Although he's soooo excited about it, I don't know that he will ever nod off.

We started the evening off by setting the tent up on the back deck. Both boys helped. The boys ran laps around it and ran in and out of it for starters. Then they moved onto the garage where Daddy had some "new" (new to us) Power Wheels for the boys to help him clean and put back together. Once that was done, it was time for L to go to bed (no camping for him due to his age, his cough and ear infection). Once I got him to bed I joined Daddy and N on the deck. Daddy got bag chairs out for everyone. We ate puppy chow while we looked at the stars. We turned off all the lights in house so the stars would be easier to see. Daddy taught N what the big dipper is. N said it also looks like an arrow and drew it for us. Then N taught us the "Star light, star bright" poem so we could all wish on a star. We didn't see any shooting stars, but we did see what we decided were planets.

N decided it was time for us all to retire to the tent, but it was not time to sleep. It was time to make shadow puppets. I came inside to find a few shadow puppets online and we tried them. After laying on the hard deck floor D and I decided it was worth it to get the air mattress out, so he did that while N and I stayed in the tent. N and I agreed it would be cool if we had bunk beds in the tent. N would sleep on the top bunk. Before N settled down and, dare I say, started to fall asleep, he made three rules for the tent (warning, boy humor). I'm pretty sure all three rules were broken. :)

#1 No tickling in the tent

#2 No tooting in the tent

#3 No sleeping in the tent