The Big Campout 2013

On Thursday, my kids finally got to celebrate the beginning of summer.  School had been over for a while, but soccer and dentist appointments and other commitments kept us from really relaxing.  They made up for it in spades.

Commence fort building. We have old barns galore, so finding a spot to set up was not difficult.  They grabbed things from the house, scavenged around the yard, and built their outdoor homes.  Water jugs, tablecloths, bricks and wood to make tables and shelves and walls, snacks, coloring books and crayons, flashlights, pocket knives.  They thought of everything.  And much to my surprise and pleasure, even hygiene.






Learning how to be a big kid.  I saw him maybe three times all day.

While I was working in the garden, I kept hearing a consistent pounding on wood and the little boys shouting, "Aye, aye, Captain!" (ala SpongeBob Squarepants theme song) over and over and over.  I later found out they were putting on a "trampoline" show.

They set up boards to bounce on and do some cool tricks.

They were choreographed and everything.

They even made stands for the audience.  (Turken was in the show.  He just sat down during my tour of the fort.)

FYI:  It is quite handy to have well-trained Boy Scouts when wanting to roast hot dogs for dinner.  Phoenix and Star had it going strong before I even got to the fire pit.

THIS.  This here is what summer is for.

 

While sitting near the fire, I was so overcome with the love my kids were showing for one another.  When people ask me why we have so many children, I just want to whip out photos like this.

Once the hot dogs were gone, the Scouts introduced the non-Scouts to a delicious little campfire treat.

Dad showed Buttercup how to core and fill apples with cinnamon sugar.

Wrap in foil and place on the edges of the fire.  Let cook for approximately 20 minutes.

Have a big, strong, he-man carefully take them out of the fire.

Ooohhh, what is it going to look like??

Once it cools a bit, dig in!

To end the day, the Scouts once again came to the rescue and set up the tents.  One for the big kids outside

and one for the little kids inside.

Miraculously, everyone actually slept the entire night in their tents, despite the fact that Giant is convinced a coyote was howling right outside their tent at 2:00am.

Over the days after the campout, I asked the kids some questions for you, in case your kids ever wanted to try their own campout.

First, the little boys. 

"Boys, what was your favorite part of the camp day?"

I think we all could have predicted that.

 

I asked the big kids what they would do differently next time, and they all agreed to plan activities for the day before the campout begins.  They spent plenty of time planning a menu for the day (even attempting to balance the junk with the healthy), but it seems they were too lax about deciding what to do all day.   (See?  A list, People!  Always prepare with a list!!!)

 

Back when I was young, we lived in a new neighborhood with only four houses on our street.  There were open fields, a creek behind our house, a bike path throughout the neighborhood, and woods very nearby.  We were loose all the live-long day, coming home only for meals.

 

It saddens me a bit that we don't live in the same kind of world anymore.  Kids who are left to roam free all day, every day are seen as having neglectful parents.  I'm so grateful to be able to live on a property out in the middle of 200 acres of corn, far from the road, where my kids can still be the kind of kids who get filthy dirty, scratch their knees all to pieces, get a few ticks, and avoid their mother all day long.  They can't do it every day, but they can do it.  

 

I love summer.

 

Have a lovely day!