Hey, y’all.
How’s your Sunday?
I, as I will be for the next three weeks or so, am on my own for the day. Mr. C has qualifying exams this month, and then he goes to Italy for a week, so he is at the office studying and preparing his presentations.
The good news is that my MIL will be here while he is in Bologna. The bad news is that my MIL will be here while he is in Bologna.
I kid, I kid. Seriously, she will help.
In the meantime, I’m fending for myself on the weekends. So today, we’re making a Very Exciting Excursion to the grocery store. Yippee!
*sigh*
I’m also working my ass off, with nine (NINE) columns due between now and Aug. 4. I’m stocking up on Tylenol and babysitter hours, yo.
Speaking of my column, anyone out there gone camping with the kids lately?
My idea of camping is the Holiday Inn, so I’m at kind of a loss as to advice to give to anyone considering a camping trip this summer. So if you have any advice or even tales of woe, shoot me an email and I’ll put your name in lights.
Now I’m off to buy batteries and graham crackers. I know you are so jealous of my glamorous life.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Dude the glamor.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
G. L. A. M. O. R. O-U-S
You rinner Fergie is just itching to get out. Have fun.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
For the camping, I recommend Deet, an inflatable mattress, and a gallon of Scotch. Plus some alcohol for you and Mr C. to drink too.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I’m taking my 1 year old and 3 year old camping this week. I’ll email you about the experience when we’re back (the 5th). Wish us luck. Currently I’ve got the mini van and roof top carrier loaded down with so much stuff you’d swear we were going to Florida, not just a few hours north for camping….
Happy to share what I learn along the way
Wendy
June 29th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Try emailing Melissa at Suburban Bliss. She did a camping guide at Mighty Junior, and I know she’s planning to camp this summer.
June 29th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I don’t know if it’s recent enough, but we did go camping last summer (2 families, 3 kids total).
June 29th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
I take my graham crackers with milk, but I like my batteries straight up.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:05 am
I have camped already, and I am going again in two days. We camp in a tent trailer, though. Does that count?
I’ll tell you what I do not recommend: staying up until after midnight working when you have packing to do for camping. Because then your brain will be too busy to sleep. And you will read some blogs. And you will leave rambling comments. You just will.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Hi,
We just got back from camping this past weekend. We camped at a little creek called Fossil Creek in AZ. The weather was very warm, but the water was cool so we stayed in the water all day. I have a 9-month old, and we sleep in a tent and have an open trailer that we bring a lot of stuff in. We bring the pack-n-play, a swing to hang from the tree, an Exersaucer and a portable high chair so he can eat meals at. It isn’t really any harder than being at home, although he did develop a bit of a heat rash this weekend. If you want to know any more just let me know! Cheers.
June 30th, 2008 at 9:49 am
The San Francisco Chronicle has a parenting blog that recently discussed camping. I don’t know what the journalism rules are about getting ideas from other articles, but some of the comments were pretty funny.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/parenting/detail?blogid=29&entry_id=26607
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/parenting/detail?blogid=29&entry_id=26829
June 30th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Be careful with the Deet - my then 2 year old had a horrible reaction to it and he was just near it - it was not on him at all and his eyes swelled shut - we had to find an ER.
We have not camped since - he is almost six. So…make sure and link to your column maybe I’ll get adventurous!
June 30th, 2008 at 9:59 am
My best camping tip: A few days before you go, freeze large blocks of ice in Tuperware or empty, clean milk jugs. Those blocks will last forever and save $$ on purchasing ice.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Dudette, you and I camp at the same place!
June 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am
We went camping last weekend with a 1 and 3 year old, and another family with the same. I recommend going with people who have a Big SUV and take all of the gear…
… and who greet you with margaritas when you finally show up at the campsite after spending an extra hour in the car finding alternative routes around construction and wildfires.
June 30th, 2008 at 11:58 am
A pack n play fits nicely in our tent and our baby slept peacefully even in cold weather last fall (he slept in a snowsuit). Art supplies are nice to have along and easy to pack. Bring extra wet wipes. Check ahead to see if there is dishwashing area at your campground. Having to do them in the bathroom sink is NOT fun. If you need to do them in your camp site, packing big bowls for water is helpful. A place for baby to eat is hard (so much gear - hard to add a highchair device to the list) but you can pull the car seat out of the car, strap them in, and feed them in it. If I think of more I’ll comment again!
June 30th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I would be jealous, only I don’t have the time due to my glamorous life of laundry and dishes to wash.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
My suggestion is that you send the kids to summer camp and you stay home. Think about it, camps are run by people who love camping and kids, they are designed for kids and having fun in the outdoors and parents can stay home!
Really, I run camps and I love having other peoples kids discover the outdoors at camp!
Kathy in Washington State
June 30th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Camping with kids can be fun. I did it with the daughter’s girl scout troop - in the rain! Now that she’s in college, we don’t camp together. We’re more likely to find a hotel with free wi-fi. but still…the memories…
July 1st, 2008 at 6:42 am
We do plenty of hiking
But I haven’t been brave enough to tent it with my kids yet. Or ever! I send my ten-year-old bush dweller camping with uncles, and he sleeps in a Hennesy Hammock which is supposed to be the BEES KNEES. Light, easy to hang up, water-and-bug-proof, don’t leave home without it!
For bugs, try a citronella candle. If everyone takes Brewers’ Yeast, a natural “B” Vitamin thing available at health stores, bugs don’t like the taste of you! It’s an old wive’s tale which seems to work.
Shoes: Tevas sandals are great for kids, with socks. Take extra socks for when they get wet.
Buy burn ointment for camping. and full first aid kit.
We hike in the rain forest, and you can search the “Bush Adventures” label on my blog for more stuff like that.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 am
We just got back from a trip to the mountains with the nephew and my girls.
My rules: Let the hooligans run around until they are tuckered out. Dunk them in a river to clean the camp dust off them. Stuff them full of S’mores. Let them stay up and stare at the fire until they fall asleep in your arms. Heaven.