A couple of comments to my camping post got me thinking about some kind of "zen of camping" thing--I really do like the outdoors, and feel at home there, although I admit to being a "fair weather camper." As much as it is fun to sleep outside and hike and do all that kind of stuff, I do like my showers and my conveniences, too. While we were out, we had a couple of conversations about people who are living in refugee camps, or other places where camping out is NOT a lark that you do for relaxation, but REALITY, despite the weather and ability to store food, and so on. When looked at that way, there is more than a tinge of classism going on with our choice to vacation by camping.
At any rate, I'm still glad we did it. And in terms of when to take your kids out (LLLB and Tia, this is for you), you have to do what is best for you, and you have to pray a lot that it goes well. Obviously there are people who camp with very small infants, and it works fine, but you should think about how you are going to handle going to a public restroom, which may get cleaned once a day, and where you are going to put the baby. Think about how you feel about mud and sand and mosquitos and sunburn, and plan accordingly. Our tent always looks like a complete disaster, in terms of clothes scattered everywhere, big honking sandy footprints from hiking boots (I've never been able to instill the "shoes off" rule in my tent), and whatever else, and I whine and moan about it every single time, but in reality, it meets our needs, and the kids sleep well. Be prepared to watch your kids play in the stream, or drop rocks into a hole, or invent a game of tag. Be prepared to teach them about elements such as fire and wind, and go to bed when it gets dark. Bottom line, if YOU have a good time, they will have a good time. I hope your trips go well.
In other news, several discussions with various doctors have just about gotten me convinced to try some sort of sleep drug, probably the one that begins with "A," as it is supposedly the least likely to become habit-forming. If nothing else, maybe it would allow me to sleep later on weekends, so I didn't get up with the chickens on Saturday and Sunday (I can't even blame the kids for this anymore, as they sleep later than I do!). Oh well, more to come.
Not sure what next week is going to bring. It will be about the only week of the summer that my boss and I are in the office together, so I will probably be pretty busy. If I don't get a chance to write, it's because of that. Take care!
Comments (4)
Thanks for the tips. Right now SP is young enough not to have to worry about the bathrooms, so that is a plus. I, however, rate a campsite on how many hooks there are in the shower. Two hooks are great, but a three-hook shower is outstanding (and almost unheard of).
As the time draws nearer, I shall be looking to you for moral support. :D
We don't shower on our camping trips, part of the fun! We never took our baby, but I was pretty good at peeing while holding one anyway, and of course always have a sling or something. And we have a potty that we take and you put a bag in it with this stuff that is kin dof an absorbing gel and then you zip the bag up at the end of the day or two days or whatever. It is good for night times.
Ryan and I used to go real campnig-camping LOL. You know, drive around and find a place to pitch a tent. Those were fun. And so quiet. I miss it a bit, but of course with kids it wouldn't be quiet anyway, yk?
And on the sleeping thing, dh takes amitriptyline (generic Elavil) which is an old antidepressant that is never prescribed fro depression these days, but for sleeping. It basically makes you sleepy. But not groggy the next day, and definitely not habit forming. The side effects say it makes you hungry, but he said he's never noticed that. For one thing, he takes it an hour before bedtime, gets sleepy and go to bed. It's changed his life! I have recommendd it to some other people with good resutls, too. ANd it's cheap LOL.
That sounds like so much fun. We've been talking about it but haven't invested in a tent, yet. My husband isn't all that outdoorsy, so it's not a real priority.
Camping is an adventure no matter how well you plan things out in your head. We haven't been with the baby yet, but we might this summer and I'm interested to see how it goes. Hope you are having a great week so far!