Greg decided he wanted to take the kids on a real camping trip (as in not in our backyard) for Spring Break weeks ago. And then the week of, he checked the weather and it was to rain all 3 days he planned to camp. Greg decided that he's too hard core to give up on camping but that Henry was no longer invited to camp in the rain.
So Thursday I spent the day packing and sent the kid off with Greg while Henry napped.
When Henry woke up, I felt a little bad that he was stuck at home with me while the big kids had a good time, so I told him we'd go on a truck ride after dinner and get ice cream from Chick-Fil-A. He then responded, clear as day, that he wanted, "Bojangles mac n cheese." So that's what he had for dinner. I opted not to get Bojangles for dinner for a second time in a week; I ate after I put Henry to bed for the night in peace--smoothie and toast. We then went to Target for candy and lots of underwear. More on that later.
Meanwhile, Greg used some $1.50 tarps from Walmart and lots of paracord to create several perfectly dry shelters for him and the kids. While Greg did refuse to put the table cloth I sent on the table (I put it on when I arrived Friday morning), he is the guy you want to get stuck in the woods with. Despite heavy rain and loud lightening, Greg and the kids stayed a little too warm and dry all night.
Friday morning, Henry and I had a quick breakfast, did a few chores then set off to meet Greg and the kids for some more camping. Luckily, Greg picked a camp ground only about an hour away, which worked out perfectly for me and Henry.
We arrived around 10, just in time to help clean up from breakfast, sit in camping chairs a while and take Alice to the bathroom at least 50 million times.
Then we headed off to do some hiking. Unfortunately, Greg sent me to ask where the trail head was, and I, not knowing there was more than one trail and that Greg had a specific one in mind, led us astray. We hiked for about a mile before finding a sign indicating that we were not on the right trail so turned right around and headed back to the cars to drive to the paved trail around the scene of an important battle in the Revolutionary War. We checked out the museum for a bit; Greg and the older kids watched a video about it while Henry and I checked out the gift shop; then we walked the mile and a half around the old battlefield. Very slowly, as Henry insisted on walking the entire way and looking at every rock and leaf and jumping in every puddle. He ended the hike completely barefoot with several pockets full of rocks, but not nearly as tired as I would have liked.
We headed back to the camp site and met up with Greg's dad, who'd driven down to eat dinner with us. Then marshmallows and playing with the kids from a nearby camp sight, and I learned the importance of always bringing the kids' bikes when camping. Sorry guys, next time I'll send bikes.
Around 9:30 we decided to head to bed. Greg and Henry were to sleep in the little tent and the big kids and I were in the other. Until Henry heard my voice, then he refused to sleep with Greg and got in the big tent with me and the kids. But he jumped on the air mattress, sat on Rex's face and in all other ways refused to calm down so Greg packed up as much stuff as he could and he and Henry headed home.
The kids and I then spent a rather rainy night on a slight slope. Again, we stayed dry due to Greg's handiwork, but I woke up several times to find Alice curled up in a ball in the corner of the tent due to the slight incline. She'd then scoot her way back to her mat only to slowly slide back into the corner.
We hung out in the tent for a bit when we woke up Saturday morning waiting for the rain to stop, ate breakfast, packed up and made it home just in time for the first speaker of Conference. Even with the rain, we had a great time and maybe next year Henry will actually get to sleep in a tent. Maybe.
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