A Camping We Will Go

Brian's last day of work for the summer was Monday so we left Tuesday for our annual summer kick-off camping trip.

We love picking a different PA state park each year.  This year we picked Locust Lake.  My criteria- must have restrooms/showers, lake for swimming, playground, and some easy hiking.

This year I even reserved a site with electric (gasp!).  With these picky eaters, I needed to be able to bring my microwave (GAAASSP!).  We don't have a propane stove- yet!  And cooking over a fire with these two kids made me too nervous, though now I think we probably could have managed since we did build a fire to make s'mores!  Admittedly, it was kinda nice being able to make dinner out of the trunk of our car.

I know tent camping with little kids isn't for everyone.  It can be a lot of work.  But it's so rewarding!  Jane had an absolute ball.  She couldn't stop talking about how much she loved it.

I'm no camping expert, but here are some tips we've kinda learned for tent camping with little kids along the way.

-Pick your own site.  I study the campground map.  I like a site that is off the main driveway so I'm not worrying about cars constantly and the girls running out into the road.  I also pick a site near the bathroom.  I don't want to be right next to it, some bathrooms have those swinging doors that slam shut every time someone goes in or out. I also pick a site that is near the playground, but again, not right next to it so that the girls aren't constantly just running over there and we don't have to listen to loud children all evening.  Oh, and no lakeside sites.

-When packing clothes for the kids, go old or at least dark colors.  It never fails, as soon as we get out of the car someone goes right for the fire pit, ashes all over hands and clothes.   Also, after you finish packing, go back and pack double!  This especially applies if you know it's going to rain. This was the first trip we ever went on that didn't rain one of the days we were there.   Usually we come home with a bag full of wet and muddy clothes. 

 -Check the weather for your destination.  We always mess this up.  The first trip we took Jane camping we left our house and it was in the 90's.  The campground was way up in the mountains.  We figured it would be cooler, but not by 20 degrees, and that's not nighttime difference!  I had brought one sweater for Jane!  And it rained the whole time.  I hadn't learned the lesson to pack double yet either. Let's just say this was what people call an "epic fail".  This trip, Brian had checked the weather and the low temp was supposed to be 69.  The girls had their sleeping bags, but for Brian and I, I just packed a sheet and single blanket.  Always prepare to be cold!!  Bring pants, socks, sweatshirts, and a heavy blanket.  Always.  Just in case! 

-Glow sticks make awesome nightlights for the tent.  However, they do not double as flashlights when going to the bathroom in the middle of the night!!!

 -If there's a chance of rain and you may be stuck in the tent for awhile with kids, prepare!  Books, games, special snacks.  I like to buy snacks that I don't usually get for the girls.  Anything that will keep them happy. 

 

-If you are bringing a non-walker, a tarp makes for a great playmate.  Most campsites are gravel so a big tarp is great, especially if the ground is damp or wet.   Washable toys are recommended :)

 -Setting up/packing up can be a nightmare with a wondering toddler, especially if you can't avoid being off a main driveway.  A pack and play or play yard would have saved us hours when Jane was a toddler. 

 -I forgot to do this once and boy did I regret it!  Cut the kids nails short right before you leave.  (I'm not even a freak about the kids getting dirty, usually I encourage it!  But when going camping they just get sooooo dang filthy!)

 Those are my camping tips.  Some are pretty obvious, though all are things that I at one time neglected and learned the hard way!  I'd love to learn more if you have some! 

 We really had a great time, especially Jane!  She's the perfect age to take camping.  She was so excited to go and didn't want to leave.  If it weren't for wrestling (literally!) Molly to sleep for over an hour I'd say lets go again soon!!

 The girls' favorite part was definitely the lake!  And watching them have so much fun was my favorite.  They loved it so much the first afternoon that we returned the next morning at 9AM!

 I'm not positive, but I think Brian's favorite part was our stop at Cabella's on the way home ;)

 

Children's Museum

Boy, the second child really gets shafted!  I can't even imagine how neglected the third child will be!  (kidding of course...sorta)

By the time Jane was Molly's age, she'd already been to the Please Touch Museum 3 or 4 times.  So when I saw the discounted tickets on Living Social, I figured it was probably about time to take Molly.

In Ashleigh style, I waited right up until the tickets were about to expire before realizing we better go.  I don't know what it is, but that hour commute that I once did daily is just not appealing, despite all the great places to take the kids in the city. 

But we did it.  And the girls had sooo much fun.  Molly loved the shopping carts best.  Jane loved the Alice in Wonderland exhibit. They both loved the carousel.  We got there early, right after it opened.  After about 2 hours the crowds were starting to get to me.  And having two children going in two different directions was enough to call it a day. 

We always do our grocery shopping first thing in the morning.  No different here!

 Full cart.  Time to check out.

Upon leaving the store, Jane must go to work.  Dr. Jane is here!

This baby gets a full check-up.

 Molly performs the x-ray.

Hold up.  This working stuff is not for Molly.  Typical girl, loves her shopping.

 So domesticated.  Must take after her mother.  NOT!

 We leave the "real" world and enter Wonderland.

 Am I growing or is the room shrinking?

 Yes, right this way.

 Jane becomes Alice and joins the Mad Hatter for a tea party.

 Who wants tea?

 Molly takes her tea to-go. 

What was in that tea?  Super Molly captures super duck.

 Why ride a duck when she can ride a horse! 

 "Mommy, I get duck!"  Yes, yes, but please don't climb into the water!

Birthdays!

We just got in from Jane's swim lesson.  (I'm thrilled she's taking lessons and hoping she learns SOMETHING.  She likes to socialize mostly and seems to be telling her swim instructor what to do, rather than the other way around.  Typical Jane!)  She's peacefully eating her lunch and Molly is napping so it's now or never to get this post up!

With two birthdays within four days of each other, plus Father's Day sneaks in there as well, it seems that there's just no getting around celebrating the entire week.  It makes for a lot of fun, but everyone is definitely wiped!

I want to do individual posts about the girls, but they will be saved for another time.

Last Friday started our birthday extravaganza.  Molly turned 2!  Since we were throwing Jane a separate party with her friends in addition to our family party, I thought we should do something special for Molly too. We (ok, I) decided that Brian would take off work and we'd all go to Sesame Place.  If you aren't familiar with Sesame Place, it's a little kids' amusement and water park based off Sesame Street.  Of course the morning we went was cold and rainy. NOT ideal for the water park (or taking pictures...so unfortunately I hardly got any, booo).  The weather didn't stop us from the rides though.  And we even got to watch Elmo's World Live.  By the time we left the show, the sun was shining and we got the girls changed quickly to enjoy the "wave" pool (we're talking barely ripples) before we had to leave and let Molly nap. 

We came home, let Molly open her presents, finished up some yard work before the girls' party the next day, ordered the girls' favorite meal, for dinner- PIZZA, and ended the day with cupcakes!

The girls played with Molly's new pool princesses in their water table while we did some yard work/party prep.

 

The following day we had a birthday party with our families for both the girls.  It was a beautiful day and everyone enjoyed a lot of swimming!  The girls got a ridiculous amount of STUFF!  (We are now planning a yard sale for the end of July to clear out the old for all the new- including baby brother's stuff!) 

Sunday of course was Father's Day.  After church we had a little picnic at the park, provided by Brian's favorite,  Wawa..  We spent the afternoon at my dad's house- doing what we do best, swimming and eating!  It's Nace tradition to have no less than 3 desserts!

Tuesday we celebrated Jane turning 4!  She planned her own party with the help of You Tube.  During the winter, she was an avid You Tube watcher (not something I'm proud of, but she loves to watch the princesses at Disney World).  Well she happened to come across a princess birthday party that involved the "real" Snow White.  After viewing that, she had to have Snow White come!  She also watched about 4 tutorials on how to make your own Snow White cake.  We invited her girlfriends from school, and our neighbor, to come.  5:30 that morning, I heard rustling of Jane's sheets over the monitor, and she whispered, "I'm 4!"  Then she had to tell everyone else, so she yelled, "I'm 4 today!", waking Molly up.  Despite waking her sister up, it was super cute!  I tried to keep the party as simple as I could.   We set the moonbounce up in the yard, gave each of the girls their very own Snow White headband, and they decorated little hand mirrors with stickered jewels.  Snow White did come, and she made the kids balloon animals, played some games, told some stories, and ended her visit helping us sing happy birthday!  Jane was thrilled with it all!  That evening Jane got a very special birthday present, her first real bike!  She had a fantastic day! 

And now birthday week is over and I can't help but be a little glad.  I can't believe how big the girls are getting, though.  Stay tuned for more!