Camping with Five

This weekend Sean and I went camping for the first time with our whole little family. I remembered loving camping in the past, we even backpacked on our honeymoon, but I was worried that camping with children, somehow, wouldn't be the same. I had been dragging my heels on this one for quite some time. Last weekend, I had to make up something about the weather - there was a 10% chance of showers on Saturday. My excuses were getting lamer and lamer and Sean was starting to notice that summer was here and no camping had occurred. It was no help with my problem of impending camping that a brand new camp stove arrived on our doorstep for Father's Day! It's not that I have refused to camp this entire time...we went camping when William was only 8 weeks old! He had a screaming fit and refused to eat. The wild animals were scared. It was later determined that his food source had acquired the taste of Deep Woods Off. We tried camping with Margaret when she was 15 months old, in a crowded campground on Lake Constance which was full of judgmental elderly couples who wanted their quiet, according to the large and strict sign, exactly at 10pm. We were unable to comply. Margaret screamed in the car until about midnight. Sean was with her, I promise. We would have just gone home, but the gates of the campground were locked at night, for our safety and convenience, and we were trapped! Am I to be blamed for my reluctance to repeat these sleepless fiascoes?
The best thing about camping is that, just like fishing, it gets better and better in retrospect! The idea of camping is truly romantic and delightful! We sat in a hammock for a few seconds. We ate quite a few S'mores! And we didn't get around to taking any pictures during our frequent non-picturesque moments. It looks like a great time was had by all the entire time - instead of in fits and starts and with great struggles to remember how lucky we were to be camping together on this day in this place! Mosquitos do not show up in pictures. And our faces didn't swell up until the next day!
Just look how tranquil the tent looks in this location, seconds after Margaret refused to listen for the 1000th time and her mother gave in to frustration by giving the only water supply a quick, hard punch.
Just look at this sweet little family taking a pre-dinner stroll down a country road after William was suddenly banished from the campsite for jumping off a boulder and nearly landing on Sean's new cookstove where the pasta and pesto was being lovingly prepared.
Margaret taunts us from her rock of "time out".
William does not want his picture taken.
FINE. We'll take a picture of these lovely wildflowers. The wildflowers were amazing - white and yellow and red and orange and purple and blue dotted all over the prairie and illuminated by the setting sun.
What? It's 6am and already breakfast is prepared! What time did we get up, anyway? "Son" gets up early out here. Coffee tastes good under these circumstances.
Morning light. By the end of the night, you're just grateful that it's over and that morning has arrived. Camping sure does get you out there with your scenery at all kinds of weird times of day. We got to see the sunset, which looked like somebody had painted the sky red and jagged, reflecting our mood perfectly as the kids were screaming and fighting out their final horrah of the day. Red and jagged sunset, tent sagging and swaying from side to side with the weight of small bodies. Huge heavy bruise-colored clouds, loud tent heaves from side to side and then whips into a frenzy like a blender. Oh, this dramatic sunset that we never would have seen! And the stars. The Wyoming stars at 1am when DrHausfrau had to pee. Sean got to see them too, because (note: never admit this to Sean) DrHausfrau is pretty sure she stepped on Eric as she reentered the tent. Everyone sees stars!
The quiet and beauty of the cool early morning. Too cold for mosquitos!
Rockclimbing at 7am. I recommend it. We saw the sun come up over this rocky cliff.

Camping. After the passage of only one day's time to forgive and one night of sleep to forget, we already have plans to try it again. I'll let you know how it goes.