Boys Only Campout

Yesterday I woke up with the intent to load up the car, buy a few groceries and take the boys camping. Just me and the boys. I've been trying to do it all summer. We haven't had a "just the guys" camping trip before. And Beth had Doxa Soma last night and was supposed to have grad school orientation today (she ended up skipping it because none very relevant), so it was a good opportunity for us to get away.

But Nils got sick. He threw up. Twice. But it wasn't very sick-looking puke (which that sentence would only make sense if you've been around a lot of sick kids). So we were cancelling the trip. But then by lunch time he was hungry. And acting normal. So we ended up going. We were only planning on going to Baker Park, which is 30 minutes away, so I figured if we need to we could just come home if needed.

We got there later than I hoped, obviously, but were still able to get in a quick swim in the lake and some time on the bikes. The weather was nice enough we didn't need the rain fly, so we slept looking at the stars (while keeping the bugs away and allowing some breeze through).

This morning we got up, ate breakfast, packed up our gear and biked down to the lake. It was very windy, so there were some good waves forming (good for a lake at least). The boys had fun jumping through them and trying to float on them. We then headed into Delano to hit the buffet at Pizza Ranch (an Iowa chain that we love and haven't been to one for a while). We checked out the nearby Lake Rebecca Park. They had a wonderful big-woods-themed playground that the boys loved exploring.

We had to work through some discussions along the way: why we expect the boys to help do chores (especially when it's setting up the tent and getting everything ready and mamma isn't around), obeying the first time they're told to do something, having a good attitude and not complaining, etc. They're things we've been talking about for a while--I just hoped not to have to do it all on a camping trip. Parenting is work--hopefully some of it pays off and sinks in soon. In the meantime, we had fun. Though, when we prayed tonight the thing the boys both said they were thankful for was their bike ride with mom after supper. Which is validating for her, of course.

It was nice to be able to have a night to get away in this last week before school starts. Summer always goes so quickly--especially in the upper Midwest. It was good to get out in nature and have some time with my boys there. And we learned that we need a wife/mamma (I forgot bug spray, water bottles and a few other things that she would have remembered).