Camping with Grandma

This past weekend we went camping with Grandma Linda (Friday-Monday). All-in-all, a good time.

Highlights included:

• Willa and Karri slept all three nights together on the high bed;
• Ethan and Michael slept one night in the tent together, one night Ethan was in the camper and Michael was in the tent, and one night together on the low bed in the camper;
• First time wwe got to use our tent that we bought about 2 1/2 years ago - very happy with it - big enough for 4, no problems;
• S'mores - Willa and Ethan both loved them;
• Grandma Linda got Ethan and Willa toy bows and arrows (Ethan had been eyeing one in his toy catalog for weeks (and wanted to use his yard sale money to buy it and was wondering why it wasn't at our house yet)). Ethan played with his pretty much every day;
• Playing in Stafford Creek (refreshing when the temperature was over 90);
• Eating wild huckleberries (of course Ethan said we couldn't use that word so we called them small, round fruits); and
• Reading all of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"; and
• Using "special" camping gear like backpacks (pink for Willa and blue for Ethan) and headlamps.

Of course hiking itself was not so successful. I think we made it about 50 yards when Willa wanted Karri to carry her. Negotiation - walk for 5 minutes, then Mommy will carry you for 5 minutes - was not so successful and shrieks of "carry me" or "pick me up" could be heard in parts of Oregon and Idaho. After about a half-mile of Karri walking and Willa screaming and following, Willa decided she had had enough and lay on the ground and threw a fit. After 15 minutes of fit throwing (while Karri and Linda picked huckleberries close by), Willa picked herself up, dusted herself off, and "like a big girl" walked back to the trailhead. During this time, Ethan had decided he had had enough and wanted to hold my hand and walk back to the trailhead, so we did but we made a number of mini-adventures to look at butterfly's, creeks, or berry patches.

Daphne enjoyed camping, especially all of the extra food (including half a package of beef jerky). She is becoming a bit naughty in her old age. Of course, she loved rolling in the dirt. And, it is always interesting how much less wildlife you see when Daphne is around.

On the plus-side, unlike last year, I did not have to get up at 5 in the morning and stroll Willa up the road for an hour or so to help her chill out.