Camping

We survived our camping trip. Ok, it was more fun than that. And, although it seemed like a very long weekend, it wasn’t a very long experience. I think the thing that made it seem long was the fact that Lala and the cuddler cannot go to sleep in the same room or if I am in the room. It’s just way too distracting. Eventually, I had to put them in their car seats and sit on the ground out of sight and wait for them to finally crash at around 10pm. And they were up before 7am every morning.

On the plus side, there was not so much eating rocks, dirt and pine cones this year. The kids were also much more interested in the wildlife this year too. Lala announced “Mommy! A chipmunk” every time she heard one chattering in a tree. Sadly, she was not so good at actually spotting them. They are pretty quick. We also saw lots of cows – the camp ground is surrounded by open range land, so the drive can reveal a cow/calf around any corner – even a calf drinking from it’s mommy (lots of questions). Grasshoppers were also a bit hit. We don’t have them at home (too wet), so this was the first time the kids really got into watching them hop.

Every year we go on this camping trip and it’s becoming a touchstone for us. I remember the year when Lala wasn’t walking and she went into the lake for the first time. Last year, we again spent much of our time inside the eating hall because the cuddler was in his “I’ll eat anything” stage, and couldn’t be watched closely enough to keep him from poisoning himself. Yes, he’s that good. Still is.

This year, they played in the lake, went for long walks, played in the dirt and enjoyed looking for animals. Who knows what will happen next year? Will they be ready for s’mores? (I just realized that the cuddler will be three next year… now, I’m scared. Three is way worse than two.)

In adoption news, well, there is none. Today we have another meeting with the social worker who has a nebulous job description, so maybe I will get more info at that time?