SHARE
Last week I did something I NEVER do. I went camping. (Ack!) I grew up spending summers on a big sailboat, but I did not camp. The only time we had campfires was for s’mores, not for cooking. And there was certainly no sleeping on the ground our outhouses. So I’ve never been hot on the idea of camping. I think it is a great activity for Mr. Fun to do with the kids. He meets up with his family every year for a weekend and the kids look forward to it all summer. They have a great time together and I have a great time by myself. (Alone in my own house people!) Everybody is happy!
So why did I change my policy? I didn’t actually know that I had. I asked my Mother In Law, Wanda, if she would come with us (the girls and I) to go visit her sister out on their farm in Eastern Washington. We hadn’t seen Aunt Freddie (and Johnny and the rest of the crew over there) for a LONG time. I figured we’d be staying at the farm but Aunt Freddie likes to stay at their lake place in the summer because it can be so hot there. Their lake place is a 5th wheel camper and a huge grass lot. Wanda and Kate chose to sleep in a tent just for fun, but I slept in the lap of luxury in the 5th wheel in a queen sized bed. Lovely! They had a full BBQ, two bathrooms and a short walk to a refreshing lake. The only time we started a camp fire was for s’mores. (Sound familiar?) Wanda called it ‘Sissy Camping’, but that was as close as she was ever going to get me to camping and we had a great time!
Why are my pictures so funky looking? Two reasons. One is my Canon 40D died the first time I tried to turn it on. The only camera I had at my disposal was my iPhone so I made the best of it. The second reason they look funky is because I was using the ‘Hipstamatic’ app with my iPhone. I just love how it makes the images look like pictures from MY youth. I had some fun being creative with it so there was a silver lining. (Just so you know, I have very little control over the composition and no control of the effects. They are what they are!)
On day one it was 97 degrees and sunny. On day two it was 61 degrees and raining. What is up with that?!? Since it was raining the girls didn’t get to ride the combine (I TOLD you it was a farm!) but we did get to check out the crops.
The girls’ favorite part of the trip? There was a golf cart and an empty lot next to ours. We let the girls drive the cart, to their hearts content, all by themselves. The only rules were they had to go somewhat slow, no donuts, and they had to stay on the grass. They came up with all sorts of games (Busdriver, Harry Potter with the cart being the Hogwarts Express, etc.) and they were happy as clams. I’m pretty sure I should just shoot myself before it is time to do driver’s education classes with Kate. She has no fear!
The whole phrase ‘Sissy Camping’ can really be interpreted two ways. One is the traditional, ‘We did not sleep in the dirt therefore we are sissies!’ Option #2 is how I prefer to think about it. We went to see Wanda’s sister, or Sissy, Freddie. I also had all three of my girls with me so they are all ‘Sissies’ to each other. The only way it could have been more perfect was if MY sister was along too!
Finally, I have a bit of photographic evidence that I actually went camping….even if it was Sissy Camping!