We camped a lot when our kids were little. They loved it....me? Not so much. Camping is not a lot of fun for the mom. You have to plan meals (meals that can be cooked outside or over a camp stove), you have to have all the stuff from your kitchen that you'll need to cook those meals, and you have to do that without the comforts of your microwave. Then there is clean up....no dishwasher and, in fact, no hot water unless you heat it up yourself on the stove top or campfire. We won't even talk about sleeping on the ground, bugs everywhere, and bathroom facilities you share with everyone else at the campground. The last time we went camping we saw a very large snake crawling UP a tree! Who knew snakes could climb trees? Not me but I assure you I spent the whole rest of the weekend looking up in the trees waiting for snakes to drop out on my head. I was shaken to the core because my "snake escape plan" had always been to climb the nearest tree!!
I don't make it sound very fun, do I? But just a few weekend ago we went camping with some families from church and I remembered the good things about camping. S'mores so drippy and chocolatey you have to have s'more. Jiffy Pop - remember that? The popcorn that you cook over a fire and the tin foil lid mounds up with smells and sounds of pure goodness. Sitting around a campfire talking and laughing. Moving around that campfire trying to run from the smoke. The peaceful sounds of crickets and frogs in the night. Stars in the sky. And kids playing with each other; laughing and covered in dirt. Those are good times, no doubt, and while it is indeed a lot of work for the mom, I think it's worth it.
Our next Family Campout will be the first weekend in October at Brazos Bend State Park. Mark your calendars, plan you meals, pack your cars, and join us!
