Friday August 14
Our annual RV camping trip with the boys began yesterday. Cathy and JA met us again, but this time their 3 kids, their spouses and alll their kids came too. That’s 10 adults and 11 kids! Two 14 yo, 2 11 yo, 2 8 yo, 3 6 yo, 1 almost 5 yo, and 1 2 yo! The nice thing this year is that since their parents are here we are only responsible for 2 of them.
Lee picked the boys up yesterday like a usual Friday and brought them to our house. They helped us make many many carrot and celery sticks, and load things on to the RV. They can actually peel carrots now! Big kids.
We left around 1:30. We had to stop at their house and get bunny and giraffe which they need for bedtime. Not totally big kids yet!
With a little bit of traffic due to an accident we made it to Father Hennepin State Park on Lake Mille Lacs. There is a small Indian reservation near here, one of the few created in Minnesota back in 1855. Like every Minnesota State Park we have been to, it’s a nice park with well maintained campgrounds, nice hiking trails, a beach, a fishing dock, a boat launch.
It took awhile for everyone to show up last night. We didn’t eat until after 7. Lee had made pulled pork so we had bbq sandwiches, and everyone else brought various sides so there were veggies, slaw, chips, rotel with cookies for dessert.
By the time the adults finished talking and the kids finished playing it was pretty late. Lee took the boys for a quick shower, and it was after 10 by the time we were all in bed.
Then the boys kept fussing at each other until I finally gave up and put Leo in bed with Lee and I got in bed with Kirby. The boys settled down and went to sleep but the mattress on the table bed is horrible. I’m definitely short on sleep this morning, even though I slept until almost 6. Leo slept until 6:30. Then Lee picked up Kirby and put him in our bed so we could set up the table and have coffee and breakfast. Kirby slept until 8!
We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Leo ate 2 and a half large rolls and a lot of strawberries and blueberries. Same with me.
There was also bacon!
Saturday August 15
After breakfast everyone except Cathy, Sophie and me went out on the lake in pontoon boats. We didn’t mind staying back at all! I worked on my latest crochet project. I’m making a puzzle ball animal, a giraffe, for Emi. Its fun! The yarn I chose is very colorful and that’s why I chose it, but, oy what a nightmare to work with! It’s single ply which I didn’t realize until after I ordered it. It’s very difficult to work with without snagging or splitting. I finally researched it and now I’m doing ok. I just have to take it slow. And you better believe from now on I will check the number of plys on any yarn I buy!
Then Sophie and I went on a nice long walk around the park. I chose a trail that went along the lake and then through the woods. It was quiet and pretty and we got some much needed exercise and fresh air.
Everyone came back around mid-afternoon. Then the boys were off playing with the other kids and riding their bikes.
We heard about the pontoon boats in bits and pieces. They had two boats. The younger kids and Kate, Danielle, Sam, and JA were on that boat. The older kids, including Leo and Kirby were on the other boat, as was Lee, Callina, and Andrew. From Lee I heard that they fished, but didn’t catch anything. I heard that the boats were old and not in very good shape. He said their boat was loud, and Callina said she got motion sickness on it, but it turns out that the older kids boat was pretty rowdy. The kids were running around the boat, trying to make it tip, which is pretty hard to do on a pontoon boat, although you can swamp them if you really try. Andrew was driving and he was making lots of twists and turns as well. Thank goodness I didn’t go! I would NOT have been happy. I’m glad I didn’t see it either. But it must not have been TOO bad or Lee would have said something.
Later in the afternoon some of the group decided to go to the beach. Neither Lee nor I wanted to go, but there were plenty of other adults so Leo and Kirby could go too. I drove them there (about 5 minutes away) so we didn’t have to move their car seats.
Eventually it was time for supper so I went to go get them. They had been having a great time and it was hard to tear them away.
They had also been playing in the sand, a LOT. In fact they had been burying each other in the sand. They were encrusted in sand and all there was to rinse them off was some very very cold water. What a nightmare. Leo was brave, but Kirby cried and fought. I told him he HAD to get that sand off! He has such sensitive skin and I didn’t want his eczema to flare up. Finally we got enough sand off that it was safe for them to get in the truck.
When we got back to the RV, we could take a washcloth to them and get more of the sand out of their ears and hair. And then, even though I had rinsed their privates too, or so I thought, when they took off their bathing suits a whole other region of sand appeared. It was crazy. But we got through that too and then we could go over to Cathy’s RV and eat taco salad with lots of condiments, with s’mores and cookies for dessert.
Then last night Lee slept with Kirby and I slept in our bed with Leo. I was so tired!
Sunday August 16
This morning we had pancakes for breakfast with strawberries, syrup and whipped cream. And more bacon. There was some time to visit and for the kids to play before it was time to pack up the RV and head back home.
It was another very successful camping trip with the boys. They had a great time and so did we. In a couple years they are going to get too big to fit in the table bed anymore, or at least for two of them to fit there. Then I guess if they still want to do it we’ll have to get a tent.
