Camping With The Girls
When I declared that it was a perfect night to go camping, Dannalyn and Kirsten erupted with excitement. Sure, I had never taken the girls camping before—but what could go wrong? The idea of pitching a tent under the stars sounded like an adventure and a great way to spend some quality time with my youngest girls. Little did I know, it would turn into a weekend filled with laughter, mishaps, and memories we’d cherish forever.
The preparation phase was an event of its own. I insisted on taking the "essentials"—a tent, sleeping bags and enough snacks to feed an army. Kirsten, the seven year old, insisted on bringing their favorite stuffed animal and Dannalyn brought a backpack full of books. I tried to maintain some semblance of practicality, reminding them that space in the car was limited, but they were having none of it.
The drive was filled with a music videos on YouTube of their favorite songs and endless chatter about what they were most excited to do. Kirsten couldn’t stop talking about roasting marshmallows, while Dannalyn was just talking at the top of her voice about nothing really. I, who was driving, was just trying to enjoy the moment and watch the road.
Arriving at the campsite was exhilarating even though it was still on our property. After off roading for just a little bit, we hopped out of the car, inhaling the fresh pine-scented air, and quickly set to work. I took charge of the tent while the girls tried to be helpful, which mostly involved holding poles and arguing about who knew what they were doing and who didn’t. After a comical struggle (which included a few wrong turns with the tent setup), we finally managed to get it up—and it was, well, standing. I finally figured out how to connect the tent to the Tacoma, after two previous attempts. Once our home for the night was established, I sent the girls into the woods to collect sticks for a camp fire.
As night fell, we gathered around the campfire. I worked my magic, creating the perfect camp fire, using a lighter, ranger bands and kindling sticks, obviously it wasn’t to difficult. The girls were preparing to roast marshmallows and they did. However, Dannalyn decided that she didn’t like the taste of the camp fire on the marshmallows, so she decided to encourage Kirsten to just eat the marshmellows. So, we sat by the camp fire and ate plane nonroasted marshmellows.
If you’re considering a camping trip, whether it’s a long way away or in your backyard, go for it! The laughter, stories, and moments shared are worth every bit of effort. Who knows, you might just learn something about your kids you never knew.