toddler campout

One of my favorite things we did as a family when I was growing up was camping. I love the getting away from the noise - the slower pace of bonding on a long walk or over a smoldering fire - hearing the sounds of the night while drifting off to sleep - waking up as the sun rises still smelling of campfire...

I am really looking forward to camping when the kids get a little older. Saturday we went on a backyard camp out to test the waters. Brett was very excited about sleeping in his sleeping bag!
The kids helped Daddy set up the tent.

And had fun playing in it while Daddy grilled steak and potatoes.

Our tent is just big enough for a queen-size air mattress - just big enough for Brett, Lydia, and Momma (Daddy and Reggie slept in the house).

Brett and Lydia each got a little flashlight for the camp out - they were a big hit!

Reggie got tucked into bed for the night while Brett and Lydia went on a "wilderness walk" to gather sticks for the campfire.

We got the campfire going and had lemonade and popcorn!

We sang some campfire songs.And the kids had their first s'mores. Yum!

Then it was time to sleep in our tent! We weren't convinced they would actually sleep in the tent, but they both spent all night outside! Brett fell asleep shortly after we went to bed, but Lydia stayed up chattering away for over an hour. I had to laugh when she announced "airplane!" as she heard one fly over us- not exactly the wilderness! And we were awakened by a couple of drunk neighbors swearing at each other (well, I've had that happen a few times in campgrounds we've stayed at...) Brett was up by 5:30 and woke Lydia and I up. We went inside and it was clear Lydia needed more sleep, so she went back to bed for a couple hours.

I'm optimistic we will be ready for a real camp out by next summer. But we'll need a bigger tent!