So how best to honor Presidents' Day and a rare opportunity for the Daddy Person to not need to leave the house pre-dawn on a Monday morning?
Why, a camping trip, of course.
But I have an admission to make. Even though my father made sure that I knew how to camp in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada, in the high deserts, in all kinds of climes, even though my mother was willing to haul kids, kitchen ware, sleeping bags and soot, I have not been faithful in educating my kids in all things camping.
People, I'm tired. And I can barely keep this crew fairly clean and fed with all the modern conveniences.
And thankfully, we've been living in areas with easy access to gorgeous national parks and preserves, all available within a few miles of home sweet home. So my guilt is somewhat assuaged by scenes like this...
Welcome to Camp Octamom...okay, it's actually Camp OctaDad. In the backyard. During the only rainstorm we've had in many a moon.
3 of 8, 5 of 8 and 6 of 8 joined their daddy in a bit of backyardin' it...
5 of 8 preferred having his own tent suite...
I love that he chose to take a box of books with him as his necessary survival items...
Did I mention that it was cold?
Gotta love that handy soccer goal and trampoline providing the important natural elements to pitching the pup tent...
They huddled and cuddled and shivered through the night, listening to the rain and the soft roar of the garbage trucks making their early morning rounds. I brought them some hot breakfast burritos a little while after day break, stopping to admire the raindrops on the tent surfaces...
6 of 8 was a bit demoralized that camping, in its simplest form, means that you sleep outside. No evening gown competition, no chocolate. It's a little hard for her to fathom the appeal. 4 of 8 flatly refused to participate in the urban camping festivities, declaring, "I'm not a 'sleeping outside' kind of person."
But for 3 of 8, 5 of 8 and OctaDad, it was a roughin' it success.
A soggy, chilly, sleep-depriving event, to be sure. But still a victory of man over the elements...
There is no way my husband would ever do that. He hates camping more than I do. ALthough the back yard doesn't sound too bad. Still have access to a toilet and a kitchen.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is the camper of the family. I haven't been camping since C was 4 months old and wimped out and drove the hour and half home with her while the rest of the clan stayed at the Lake at Eufala. Do I feel bad, not one bit!
ReplyDeleteLOL I love the idea of backyard camping :) Now to sell it to hubby and kids..then maybe i will get the sofa and remote to myself hehe!!
ReplyDeleteHEHE!! They are all so cute!! I hated camping when I was younger...now maybe I would do it...maybe.
ReplyDeleteI am just not the camping kind of gal. Either is J, so I guess my kids might have to learn all that from their Uncle Dan. They look so cute! and I love the books!
ReplyDeleteThat's so cute! We are definitely camping people. My hubby's idea of a good time is a tent and 3 days on a mountain with no modern conveniences. We did have the luxury of an outhouse though.
ReplyDeleteI had never been camping before getting married, now I love it. But it has to be above 60 degrees to get me out there though. :)
That is so great, Octamom! :-) Give your man a pack on the back for heading out to the wilds of the backyard! We do a 3 sometimes 4 day camping trip once a year with dh's family...usually pretty primitive...outhouses, cooking over fire, no electricity...but it's a great time! I do have to say that it is a bit of an adventure when one is 7 1/2 months preggo but oh well! I popped our air mattress on that trip! HAHAHA! This year my SIL & I will both have small nursing infants...I know, kinda crazy, if you ask me...but I'm trying to have a Laura Ingalls Wilder spirit!!! :-) Great photos and thanks for sharing the fun! (sorry for getting a little chatty...camping strikes a STRONG emotion in me...heehee!)
ReplyDeleteBackyard camp outs are the the BEST!
ReplyDeleteMan, we love camping in our family, but to be honest, we haven't been for over four years in the roughing it sort of way. I only go camping in the spring and fall, so every year so far there has been something to prevent us from going.:( One day when we have a permanent residence and we aren't living in an rv anymore (its a kind of cheating camping:) maybe we can reintroduce all of our camping gear back into the family again. OH, the fun times....!
ReplyDeleteBackyard camping is the best! Well, den camping is actually the very best. But the backyard is a close second.
ReplyDeletesounds cold...not my thing for sure, but glad they had fun!
ReplyDeleteHA HA - my hubbie keeps trying to get my son to camp in the backyard but he refuses to sleep out there (we have coyotes and deer in our backyard and he's very frightened)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I thought camping was great. As an adult, I prefer a cabin to a tent. We try to go camping for a few days each year because the kids love it so much. But camping makes me and my honey TIRED!!!! I think your idea is great!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Good for Octodad and his campers. I have a love hate relationship with camping. I love being outside enjoying nature.....I hate not being able to sleep in a nice warm bed. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a yummy, rugged, outdoors man you're married to!
ReplyDeleteWe've been known to call a hotel camping. My Daddy, rest his soul, would be scandalized.
We are planning on doing a lot of camping in the backyard this summer. The boys are so excited. It will be even more excited if we can get the new house we want because that one actually has a big backyard. Yeah!
ReplyDeleteMy boys wanted to go camping last week. They set up the dome tent in the living room because #1 is was below freezing outside and #2 someone lost/broke the poles for the rain fly. The top of the tent is mesh, it would have been really cold in it. The zipper is broken on that tent, so if they mess it up, who cres. We need to buy another 5 person tent before our camping trip this summer.
ReplyDeleteMy husband keeps talking about backyard camping this summer .. but I'm with 4 of 8. I am not a sleeping outdoors type of person either. He'll end up doing it with his buddies .. and they'll have fun =-)
ReplyDeleteKudos to your hubby for braving the rain! What a great way to spend his vacation =-)
I'd love to go camping... in a RV! :P
ReplyDeleteNow, THAT is my kind of camping...The restrooms are close and INSIDE!
ReplyDeleteAdorable pictures!
Mrs. Nurse Boy
I gamely went camping with the family all the way through my first trimester with number 4. I remember that last camping trip of mine well - it was the one when we neglected to listen to the radio (no Internet!) for the weather report. Who knew a hurricane would reach so far inland? I have vague memories of wet, soggy kids sitting in the back of our parked van happily eating hotdogs and baked beans while I sat up front trying to stay dry and not throw up.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to eat those canned baked beans since. And camping is a Daddy-only experience now. I don't understand the moms who say it is fun. It's fun to be expected to do everything you do at home, only without the necessary equipment? It's fun to have to go into a yucky campground bathroom (or, worse, pee in the woods) in the middle of the night? I just do not get it.
I am with 6 of 8!!!
ReplyDeleteWe LOOooove camping. Two summers ago, we were in a tent for 2 weeks in Northern Minnesota. You're right -- it is a sleep-depriving activity. But there is something about getting away from all the gadgets and bringing life back to its simpler form that really renews us.
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Octadad! :)
- Julia
We did the same thing this weekend, only we pitched our tent inside. :) We had wanted to really go camping, but with the heavy rain in the forecast, decided that didn't sound like fun with small ones. So we moved all the furniture out of the living room and up went the tent! The kids had a blast. :)
ReplyDeleteNow that looks like it was too much fun. I am of course speaking of the kids and dads point of view. I might just take mine out there and do it too. I have set up smaller tents in the house for them but never the big one in the back. It just seems like the intimacy of the smaller tent would be more appealing when spending time with the kids, but then again i have slpet with them and that I know to be NO FUN!!
ReplyDeleteLove and Prayers,
Tim
I can totally understand the whole books in a box idea. I always carried books, magazines, whatever was lying around with words printed on it, with me on camping trips. We've camped a lot over the years, but not as much in recent years. I think it's one of the most peaceful, relaxing things you can do! (I also go for five-star hotels when the budget allows!)
ReplyDeleteLove the raindrops and the photographs...
Roban
I love it -- camping in the backyard. which is btw my type of camping. actually the only camping I have done. The photos are great and I love the box of books!!! classic camping gear
ReplyDeleteMy dad camped with us outdoors a few times growing up. In the summer we slept on the trampoline, lol.
ReplyDeleteOh and my WW this week is the eye thing you did last week.
this is priceless...
ReplyDeleteyour photography, of course, is a delight for the senses, as is your family....
I have to agree with 4 of 8 though...
I did my camping when I was in my early teens, and yes, I kind of enjoyed it then , but did it twice and then, other *sleeping ouside* times were more because there was no way out...but right in my full adult life....
nah
give us a nice room, with all the 21st century's comfy possibilities!!!
Huggzz to you all, and thanks for popping in,
all my words are heart felt , and you deserve each and every compliment...
as a matter of fact, you are such an inspiration to me....
Huggzzz
Hehehe! Man boys will be boys right...Looks like they had a blast...not to sure if I would jump right on the chance to sleep outside in the cold and rain....but still looks like fun! hehe!
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday,
Abigail
Ok, you know how I feel about camping-I am a fan. So take this in love...camping in the backyard is simply uncomfortable sleeping outside. It can serve a purpose when the kiddos are young, but I am with 6 of 8, where is the novelty at least? Now sleeping out side where you see more stars than you knew existed, or can hear animals scurrying about, or smell a camp fire, or smell really fresh air, or no cell phones work (PTL!)...now that is worth it! Come see me and we will do it right-maybe even take along a pop up camper!
ReplyDeletelove ya!
That's my kind of camping. Hubby and boys outside - wife stays inside where it's warm and civilized. :) I used to like camping. Back in the days when we were dating, I even shared a tent with my future mother in law. That all changed after the last two camping trips were when I was pregnant (2 different kids too) and miserable. I promised myself that was the end of it. But, the guys like to "camp" in the backyard. Daddy's getting a little old for it though. :)
ReplyDeleteAs long as I"m inside, I don't care. But no way I'm sleeping in the freezing cold on the ground unless I'm actually on vacation!
ReplyDeleteDid you make them dig a pit and tie some hessian around it for a loo?
ReplyDeleteCrazy Campers!
Oh honey, we are a camping family.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to find a time when we can squeeze in another camping trip before Baby Girl gets here. I am also going to squeeze in another one after she gets here, and before it gets hot. LOL
One of my favorite M and J memories...football game, camping and great food over the fire. Do you remember?
ReplyDeleteHugs, Regina