Camping Confessions

This past weekend we took advantage of warm fall weather and enjoy as short weekend out at Miquelon Provincial Park. While we may try to look like old pros when it comes to camping with kids,  I remember earlier this year when  Facebook’s “On this day” feature gave me a great memory. In 2010, when Violet was 7.5 months old we did our first camping trip. We packed our little tent and headed for the badlands. I wasn’t completely naive but I still had grand pinterest-style visions us of the three of us sitting around a fire for hours and then snuggling up for a good nights rest. I knew it might be tricky since my baby liked routine….but I also knew that we had to start sometime.  So we packed and prepped and we decided to just go for it.

My Facebook post went something like this

“I’m in the middle of a 24 hour pharmacy with a crying baby at 4am. How do you think our first camping trip is going???”

Yup, that well.

All night long Violet was either crawling on my head, nursing, or crying.  I was paranoid we were keeping the entire campground awake with her crying in the tent.  Then, just to make matters worse,  I pulled a muscle in my neck trying to get her off my head. Hence, we ended up in a pharmacy looking for muscle relaxants.  Then first night ended with us driving around till she fell asleep in the car and the three of us sleeping in a parking lot. Good times.

My Facebook post the next day was

“I’ll be happy to never go camping with Violet again”

I’m going to say that was just the exhaustion talking.  After all, we did have a great little trip to Drumheller. We hiked around with Violet in the wrap, we went swimming and did end up sitting around a fire for hours. We were tired, but without my Facebook confessions I probably wouldn’t have even remembered that horrible night. So while we didn’t pack up and head out for another camping trip that summer, the next year we did venture out to Jasper and, according to my Facebook posts, everything seemed okay ;).  Since that first camping trip we’ve  made more good memories then I can count, and Violet is truly my outdoor enthusiast. I can’t imagine if I had just given up after one trip.

But let’s be real. Camping with us still isn’t near perfect.  I have lots of camping confessions, but I’m going to dive into only a few here (we won’t get into to the time I ordered pizza to our campsite because let’s face it, sometimes camp life is hard).

Being a mom is a lot of work. Being a mom camping is even more work. You’re still doing everything you were before, just surrounded by trees and without hot water. I understand when my mom friends say they’re aren’t going to bother taking their kids out for the weekend because it’s just more work then it’s worth. I get it.

Buuuuut, I really really want to give my kids nature. Give them free play. Give me the same experiences we had growing up- staying up way too late, building forts in the trees, tearing around the campground on a bike, eating too much junk food and sitting around the fire telling stories about our last trip. I want those moments. I want to give them those moments… but without making myself crazy with pre-planning, cleaning, full-time cooking and all around stressing.  And I’ve never been about perfection, I’ve always been about just getting stuff done.  Let’s be honest,  I’m a  working mom, with 15 projects always on the go, adding more hours of prep-work for camping just isn’t in my cards right now.

So this year we just made life easy.

We’ve bought all our groceries on the way out of town. A fruit tray, veggie tray, hot dogs, buns, sandwich stuff, hamburger stuff, pre-made salads, pre-made kabobs, little individual boxes of cereal. (I’m keeping my sanity, one easy meal at a time.)

We’ve also eaten hot dogs for numerous meals in a row. (No, I’m not telling how many)

We’ve “lost” Maeve in the trees like 20 feet from our Boler . (She was totally fine, just found out she has zero sense of direction)

We’ve threatened the girls with no marshmallows more times I can count. (This also conveniently works as a bribe)

We’ve forgotten matches, roasting sticks and even milk. (And more things I’ve probably forgotten about forgetting. But guess what?  Campgrounds have stores.)

We’ve packed up early and came home with every item we owned completely drenched. (That was fun)

We’ve gone into town and taken the family swimming at the pool instead of toughing it out in the rain. (Jasper, I’m looking at you and your 5 days of rain in row this July)

We’ve been completely exhausted and still been happy about it.

Right now I’m all about making life easy.  Even if that means ordering pizza on Friday night. For us, camping is now all about being together as a family with as little distractions as possible. Being outside and exploring until the sun sets. So, Moms, if just looking at booking a weekend of camping next summer seems like more then you can handle, think of me passing out pre-cut carrots, calling that dinner and know you’re not alone. But know that getting out there is worth it.

 

Thank you to the always lovely and talented Dana Pugh for joining my family out at William Switzer Provincial Park and photographing us in our element. Hiking, exploring, playing, eating and relaxing in our Boler….but I promise we never normally look that good unless there’s a camera following us around 😉