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The Perfect Campsite
The Ups, Downs, Joys and Adventures of Camping with Kids
By Julia Rosien
This year Simon had a new trick. Everything interested him and he wanted all of it. His desires exceeded our ability to meet them, and every 10 minutes he threw a colossal temper tantrum. At the top of his lungs he proclaimed to every camper within a five-mile radius what he thought of his current situation. Very pleasant dinner company.
After a long day it takes great effort to stay awake long enough to enjoy a campfire in the evening. But we managed to make the fire and popcorn and gather all the kids in a circle. We told stories, sang songs and listened to Nelson tell us how boring we all were. After dousing the fire we herded our family down to the beach to see the stars. We stood on the beach gazing up into the dark sky, listening to the waves wash up on shore. We were all silenced. For once, no temper tantrums or bad attitudes, only awe and wonderment.
Stars at night on the beach made everything else worthwhile. It made all the laundry and packing seem less important. All the whining and wailing turned into a distant memory. Gently rolling waves and little hands warm in mine brings us all closer to our higher power.
Early each morning we woke to the older boys whispering and giggling in their corner of the tent. The sunshine magnified all the leaves sitting on the tent roof, and our little ones stretched and yawned in the hazy morning light. As we laid there murmuring quietly, the noise from the campground grew louder, and the smell of someone else's bacon and eggs spurred us to action. But not before we promised that we'd do all the same things today that we did yesterday.