October Camping

Well, we made it.

The biggest thing I was dreading was the weather. I mean, who goes camping mid-October in Minnesota besides hardcore outdoorsy people? Norah and I are not hardcore outdoorsy people.

But the weather was unseasonably warm-- record-breaking nonetheless. We actually had the kids in the swim diapers playing on the beach and in the water. It was crazy! And dirty. But I promised myself I wouldn't spaz out about Norah getting dirty. Breathe in, breathe out.

The next biggest thing I was dreading was sleep. The first time we went camping with her, she was literally up 16 times in the night. She wouldn't sleep in the bed with us (we had a camper cabin), she wouldn't sleep in her pack-n-play. I just held her until she slept, but her down in her bed, and slept for 10 minutes or so until she got up again. Hell.

Zzzzzzzz...

This time, she slept like a rock. She ran around like a maniac in the fresh air with the other kids and basically passed out. It was bliss.

The third biggest thing I stressed about was mealtime. Norah tends to eat nothing when there's the tiniest bit of distraction. We don't take her out to eat at all anymore. She picks at her food a little at our friends' houses. I don't think people even believe us when we tell them she eats like a horse.

Chow time

Anyway, mealtime did actually suck. She only ate a few chips and a cookie all weekend, pretty much. She ate a little bit of a cheese sandwich that Tamara made her and dunked it in applesauce. And on the last day, she raided the boys' Cookie Crisp. But, she's back to horse-like eating at home, so everything is fine.

Norah's Favorite October Camping Experiences:

• Seeing three deer with Daddy
• Rob showing her a fish and a frog
• "Hiking" with Sara, Samantha, Tamara, Lincoln, and Will
• Singing campfire songs with Tamara
• Snuggling Mommy at nap time
• Playing on the beach and dumping water into a hole

We're hiking!

Mommy's Favorite October Camping Experiences:

• Camper cabins! Song long, tents, and all the unpredictable temperatures, wetness, awkward zippers, air mattresses, and other annoyances that go along with them.
• Rob's campfire fajitas
• Sleeping child
• Hiking the loop with Tamara
• "Hiking" with Sara, Tamara, and the kids
• Having a couple drinks with my friends around the campfire under a zillion stars 

Hanging by one of the cabins