We missed June on our quest to get in one night of camping a month, but July rewarded us for our effort. We had our best night of camping yet, by far. Somewhere around the end of dinner time (hot dogs and brats roasted on sticks and potatoes thrown into the coals), I had the brilliant idea that we should put the kids in a tent together. That way, they'd keep each other company, but wouldn't be disturbed by an adult coming in midway through the night. Previously we'd done a girls' tent and a boys' tent, but inevitably, the kids want to sleep *exactly in the middle* of the tent floor, which makes for an awkward night for the adults.
Well, our leap of faith paid off. The kids curled up like a litter of puppies, and the nearly the first peep we heard from them was a yell of "I'm ready to stop sleeping!!" around 7am.
Amazing. We felt so good that we went on a 2 mile (round trip) hike into the Mt. Evans Wilderness. Both kids walked the WHOLE WAY. We identified flowers and trees, including the kids' first columbine sighting, crossed over log bridges, threw rocks and sticks in the creek, and discussed the ways in which a tree could fall over.
I sense that we may have crossed a threshold of outdoor adventure, and I am excited.
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| Putting beds together in the kids' tent |
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| Potty in the woods |
After Andrew woke her up at 7, Clara actually asked to go back to bed -- and then did! She's her mama's (and Papa's) girl, that's for sure.
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| There's a girl in there |
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| Andrew found this big mushroom |
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| Man and mushroom |
