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| Happy campers |
Mike decided that for Father's Day this year, he wanted to go camping. We were talking with his two best friends from high school about it and ... we all decided to go camping together! We lucked out and found three sites together at Baker Park Reserve in Maple Plain (about 30 minutes from here). We've camped there before with our pre-kid camping partners B&C - and we are notorious "day campers" there since we had kids ... hanging out with C's family and doing super fun things like the
Baker Boo. We were set for a weekend of fun with six adults, eight kids (six and under), and two dogs!
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| The bigs |
Mike and I spent Friday morning packing while the kids played at Ms. A's, and then we picked them up right after lunch. Our timing could not have been better as we pulled into the campground right behind B&C. We got the campers set up (non-electric sites) and a fire going to cook our burgers. The sky was getting dark and our phones told us that a storm was on the way. However, the models gave us hope that the worst part may go around us. E&M got to the site just we finished cooking our burgers. So did the rain. The P and V families huddled under the P camper canopy and had a delicious picnic, while the S family set up camp.
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When it's raining and
you gotta pee ... |
The light rain continued for the rest of the evening, but it never got too heavy. It definitely didn't stop the kids from running around and exploring the full expanse of the three side-by-side(-by-side) campsites. They hunted bugs, played baseball, played cars, played tag, and really, played who knows what all! After all the kids were settled into bed, the adults grabbed some "big kid" beverages and huddled in camp chairs under the P canopy. We had the best time with each other - only interrupted by returning small people to their beds or watching E try to catch fireflies!
Friday night was not the easiest sleep in our camper. It was hot and really really humid. Dec was overheated in his little area and therefore, quite restless. At one point, he started screaming "owie" and was quite inconsolable until I picked him up. In the morning, we discovered a golf ball-sized welt on his calf that we suspect was a deer or horse fly bite. The girls woke up with the sun (sigh ...) so we handed them a coloring book and some colored pencils. A bit later, we folded up our bed (which is also the table) and set up the table. They came down and did some art while little bro slept and I ran to take a quick shower.
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Fiona had wild camping hair!
Humidity=Johnson women's curse |
After breakfast and Bugs' daily flush in the S family's camper, we headed out on a bike ride with the S's. We did not go as far as them (they have independent riders ... we have extra weight to transport), so we hit the playground on the way back. Then we made a pass by the lake to check out how the Ps were doing fishing.
After a full gang lunch (we filled two picnic tables!) and a short nap by Dec, we headed down to the beach. The overcast sky of the morning turned into a very sunny afternoon. There was a definite separation of sun and shade lovers in the adults. I happily took a sun role and hung out in the sand and water with the kiddos. The beach was super busy, so it was too much for Q. She was much more comfortable hanging out in the shade where it was quieter. Bugs was all "bring on the beach" and Dec was more in the middle. He's usually all over the beach, but his bug bite and the heat were really getting to him and he was not himself for most of the day.
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| Our site |
My favorite part of the beach was when Mike looked at Bugs and said "Bugs, you lost a shoe!" She says, "I know. Jack is looking for it." And we turn and see Jack in full goggles, diving away. He did not find her shoe (but B did), but he did find $10. No lie! Once Bugs, Dec, Cooper, and I were forcibly removed from the water, we headed back to the sites.
Dec was still acting off and when I kissed him after dinner, I thought he felt warm. The other moms thought so too. With an assist from C's thermometer, we determined he was definitely running warm; Mike and I decided that I would take him home and see if cooling him off and getting some benadryl for the bite would make a difference. We asked the girls if they wanted to go home with Mom or stay camping with Dad. Neither of them hesitated - camping! I was surprised and pleased by their answer.
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| Little bro is feeling better |
Mike drove D and I home since he needed the car to bring the camper home on Sunday. And if D wasn't feeling better, we didn't want to have to drag him back up. By the time Mike got back and worked to prep the camper (he rebuilt the bottom bunk so the girls could each have their own beds - since Yogi and Dec were home with me), the girls didn't go to bed until 9:30 or so. They thought they were hot stuff! Both girls reported that their favorite part of the weekend was camping with just daddy (which makes my heart so happy!).
After a solid 12 hours of sleep, Dec was feeling much better (the swelling on his bite was way down too). So we drove back up to the site to spend the morning with our friends and help with the packing. The kids had a great time continuing to explore together while the rest of us visited and broke camp.
The proof that it was a great time - we are already booked to do it again next year. Same time, same place, same group! This looks like our new Father's Day tradition.
My phone said there was a Subway nearby, so off we went. Phone was right, but Subway was tucked into a little strip mall. I was momentarily worried - until we drove by a cupcake bakery in the strip mall as well. Then I knew we were fine (whether Subway was there or not!). So after a moderately healthy sub lunch - and because this field trip was chaperoned by three Johnson women - we took all four kids to the cupcake bakery for dessert. And in a surprising move to all (seriously, the girls had quite the look of shock on their faces), I let each of the kids have their very own cupcake! 
