Fun With Our Sons: Just Camping With Dad

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Just Camping With Dad

The title of this post can also be "Camping with JUST Dad!" Being the youngest, Aaron doesn't get much one-on-one time with Derek. Braylen and Kaleb can hunt with Dad, target-shoot with Dad, and share Cub Scout outings with Dad. But one thing Aaron and Daddy can do together is go camping. :)

This is our spot

Put the tent right here Daddy!

Friday afternoon, Derek loaded up the Suburban and away they went. Stopping only for fish bait and donuts, they made it to their camp site in time to build a campfire for a hot dog roast. Derek was amazed at how truly helpful Aaron was. He listened and followed directions...something his older brothers have forgotten how to do. ;) While setting up the tent, he snapped the poles together as high as he could reach. When gathering firewood, he carried all that his little arms could carry. Derek delighted in Aaron, even learning to live in Aaron's pace of life. While walking to the bathrooms, Aaron stopped to kick every single leaf along the way. At first, Derek told him to keep moving. Then he thought to himself, "What for?" So he walked beside Aaron as they zig-zagged their way to the bathrooms.

The hot dog roast

Aaron wanted only one marshmallow--Daddy wanted lots more!

One of the things they did a lot of on their camping trip was bike riding. Derek had his odometer to keep track of how long they rode. Can you believe they rode 8 miles together? Aaron's quite the bike rider! Every now and then he'd wipe out for no reason--he'd be riding along just fine and then wham! Down he went. That is SO Aaron. :) His funniest wipe-out came down a small hill where he fell off his bike and the bike crashed into the fire pit! Fishing was another thing they enjoyed together. Aaron managed to hook Derek's ear with a jitterbug, and he drowned the worms while telling them, "That's what you get for not catching me any fish!"

Our littlest fisherman

Sleeping in the tent was another big hit. Aaron woke Daddy up to hear the owls. I'm sure Daddy was sound asleep anyway. :) Snuggled in their sleeping bags, Aaron did lots of talking while Daddy did lots of listening.

Our Cookie Monster staying warm :)

What a special time for Derek and our precious youngest son, who reminds us every day that he's not that young anymore...

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What I've Learned While Raising Boys

You know you're a Cub Scout mom when you end up teaching the salesperon which neckerchief slide goes with which age level.

The boys want to be just like dad, but they want to snuggle with mom.

Snuggling and cuddling can quickly turn into a tickling match with daddy, but mommy avoids the tickling to keep snuggling longer.

A carpeted floor always turns into a wrestling mat.

I don't care how old (or how young) you are; if you are male, you will wrestle on the carpeted floor.

I've never heard the words 'belch' and 'fart' more in my life. Nor the sound effects those words represent.

They'll carry toads and eat dog food. Hand them a toilet brush and they think it's gross.

Why mop the boys' bathroom floor when I can wait for them to do it for me? Three showers later, a towel makes a nice mop.

Courtesy flush=an adult walks by the boys' bathroom and flushes the toilet. Courtesy flushes are standard around here.

Hearing me count to 5 changes my child's behavior, if only for a moment.

I get more practice counting to 5 than I did when I was learning how to count.

Pull-ups should never go in the dryer.

Vacuuming the pull-up pieces out of the dryer at midnight is not unheard of.

Rocks, cars, coins, chapstick, crayons, army men, kleenex, and stickers are all washable, but shouldn't be.

If I want a child to be sick, give him clean sheets.

Band-aids really do make it all better.

My camera batteries will die at the worst time. Like they did at my wedding and the birth of my first son.

When I get mad at my son for spilling his drink, I'll spill mine that same day.

Just when I'm ready to sit down with my lunch, my kids need cleaned up from finishing theirs.

The game "I Spy" works great in a restaurant; not in a moving car.

Dandelion bouquets should be checked for ants before gracing my kitchen counter.

I should always accept a dandelion from my son with delight, for someday they will just be weeds in my yard.

I really do have eyes in the back of my head.

The messier the better--living room, kitchen, toy room--for it means my kids are here with me.

I never turn away a hug from my son--soon enough he won't offer them to me.

Things are always better in the morning.

I can never find the scotch tape in my kitchen drawer, but my son has at least 3 rolls in his desk.

My 5 year old can remember attending a funeral when he was 3, but he can't remember to flush the toilet or shut the front door.

I shouldn't be surprised that my 5 year old thinks I was friends with Mary, mother of Jesus, when he thinks 7 year olds are big kids.

Hiding a purchase from an inquisitive child looks like shoplifting.

The number of bathrooms in a home should equal the number of children. All 3 bathrooms have been used at the same time more than I ever would have imagined.

I'm a selfish, self-centered person. God's cure for that? My 3 blessings.

They really are little for just a little while. . .