Summer Trip Number 2 - Camping!

Talk about milestones..... some people love walking, or talking, running maybe. But me, I love things like first beach trip, first time making a mud pie, or first camping trip!

I have been trying to get my husband to get us out camping for a while now. He talks a good game, but actually getting him out the door is hard sometimes. Finally it all came together.

We decided that for our first trip we would stick close to home in the event something went terribly wrong. We picked Oxbow park, as it was only 20 minutes from our front door.

 I had no expectations, no notions of perfection... just a propane powered cookstove to heat milk for my almost two year old who still takes a bottle to fall asleep (shhh, don't judge me! She has a sleep disorder, I will do anything to get sleep) and being over prepared for two nights out in the wilderness.

We packed up the car, dropped the dog off with our friend (no pets allowed at Oxbow! I am glad about this. Means more wildlife to see) and headed off to the park.

 We arrived at the park and the kids spent the first little while just exploring. Touching everything, running all over, just being in awe of the world. I snapped a few pictures and then put away everything in the interest of just spending some family time.

 In the morning we had a little squirrel come and share our muffins with us. Liam was finally quiet for the firast time in weeks, just long enough to watch the squirrel eat. Dan headed home to grab somethings we had forgotten and decided would make our second night easier, and I kept the kids amused getting them ready to head down to the river to play.

After getting slathered with sunscreen, putting on swim suits and packing the bag for the beach, Dan still wasn't back, so we took a little walk down the path. The kids looked out at the river and I found some wild huckleberries to nibble on.

 On the beach was another time where I promised myself just one time taking pictures, then put the camera away and enjoy time with the family. So we found this fallen log and the kids explored it. Then we looked at rocks for an hour, Evie fell asleep and I put her in the carrier on my back to walk back to somewhere semi shaded for a little rest. Liam and Dan and I dug in the sand and played with rocks and water for the rest of the time until everyone was hungry and ready to go back.

 As we were prepping for dinner we saw a mama deer and her twin babies coming along the path behind our camp site. Evie saw them and screamed "DOGGY" and took off crashing into the underbrush after them.

 Liam got cranky and fell asleep, Evie got a few marshmallows (she preferred them un-toasted, but still on a stick) and finally fell asleep.

After Evie dozed off, I got a few pictures of the sunset and the pretty things around the camp. We fell asleep and then woke in the morning to RAIN! it was pouring rain. We ditched the idea of a leisurely morning slowly packing up, made a wet mad scramble throwing the kids into the car and then the gear and a soggy ride home. I would totally do it all again. Well. Maybe not the rain. It wasn't supposed to rain!

Spring Break Part 1

For some reason I can not figure out my sons school has split his spring break up into one week break, two weeks of school, then another one week break. This isn't really a problem this year, so I am just going with it.

This week, we started out sunny and are ending it with rain. Saturday and Sunday and Monday were BEAUTIFUL.

We celebrated the start of spring break on Friday by grating sidewalk chalk to make chalk paint and made a mess in the driveway. Our neighbors came over to help too! Then we moved our little party into the back yard. We played in the yard and I moved some branches from the cherry plum tree that were cut when we got it trimmed and made a little barrier in a circle shape to designate a "garden" where the kiddos can dig holes and make a mess. I got out the kid sized garden tools and let them go nuts.

Saturday we made a mess in the yard digging a hole, Sunday we made a bigger mess making the hole even deeper and then Monday we took the mess to the river.

We live only a few miles from the Sandy River. There is a little sandy beach you can get to through Glen Otto Park, but I decided that we needed to go play with rocks this Monday.

We headed up the road to a state park and paid the credit/debit card ONLY machine 5 dollars to park the car. I get that its awesome to have parks that are cared for and all, but 5 dollars to park for less than 2 hours in an EMPTY parking lot. Yeesh! Either way, we paid and put rain boots on the kids and headed down to the river bank. I put Dan on Evie Watch, and I was on Liam Watch. Liam and I explored a little rocky beach and then crossed some rocks onto a little island of rocks. We tossed rocks into the water and I found some quartz rocks and something I think is jasper and a small piece of agate. Once I showed Dan what river agate looked like he pretty much blinked and then pulled up a HUGE piece from the rocks right where we had been playing. Yea, I was jealous. We spent the rest of the time alternating between keeping Evie out of the water, keeping Liam out of the water, making sure no one got mud inside their boots and looking for rocks.

The agate Dan found

I love rock hunting. Just so you know.

We ended up being DONE when both kids fell down within 2 minutes of each other and got water inside their boots. Once they were cold and wet it was time to go. I had packed some PB&J sammiches and after we peeled wet and muddy clothes from the kids and buckled them in we headed home. Evie got a small nap in the car too! SCORE! I turned them loose in the yard when I got home and let them play in the garden. We packed it up and did baths around 4 and then goofed around inside for a while. Pillow fights and coloring and a movie ended the night.

Tuesday it was raining and I had ended up tweaking my back somehow at the river, so we had a lazy day. I looked up new places that I could take the kids for some rock hunting, I found a few good ones too! Super excited for it to dry out so I can go play with them outside and find pretty rocks.

Wednesday we spent the day baking and making a mess. I made a cake for my husband and the kids were stir crazy so the day was filled with tantrums and fights and crying and time outs. I find myself hoping for them to grow up JUST enough for me to be able to say "I don't care if it is raining, GO OUTSIDE!" and not have to worry about them getting too cold and not knowing how to tell me. But those days are a ways off.

I thought about finding an Easter craft for them to make, but it is hard to find things for them to do that are Evie safe. She is one of those babies who eats crayons and paper and puts everything in her mouth. Scissors and anything with a point is out, even pencils.... and glue... I don't even want to THINK about that with her! Maybe I will just cut out some egg shapes and give them crayons.

Thursday we had a lazy movie day. We colored a bit and had some snuggles and tickles.

But today, Friday, was the best! We went to the Vancouver library and played with our cousins and read books. Then went to their house for lunch. Now Evie is napping and Liam is watching a tv show and I get to relax for a bit with Katchoo in my lap as I type this and get ready to grab the pictures to post with it.

Evie's cousin Grace read her some books, and I am in love with the tables they have in this play area of the library. I want to duplicate that at home!!!!

Even with the rain we had a good spring break! Another weekend, and then back to school. I will be glad for my 4 hours of Just Evie time in the morning, and then my running crash hugs from Liam when I pick him up!