I think everyone knows that kids need a good deal of bathing. Between the diaper-area issues, food smeared all over, playing with everything they can find (especially dirty things), etc, kids need a good cleansing. Other than that, there are plenty of variants on when and how to bathe. Some kids get a bath nightly. In some households, the Dad does all the bath stuff. Some baths are quick, some are extended playtimes.
One thing I CANNOT stand is bath toys. Oh my goodness. Whoever came up with all those plastic toys full of holes (to make it squeak and squirt water!) and crevices is my sworn enemy. Within a week or two, anything made specifically for the bath is completely disgusting. Mold comes out when you squeeze the toy, the suction cups get moldy, the whole thing gets a film on it, even the net or box you use to hold the toys gets gross.
Now, I know I'm not much of a cleaner, but I have tried with the bath stuff. I rub them down with anti-bacterial wipes, I squeeze the water out of the squeaky toys in the sink to try to get the stuff out, I've soaked them in vinegar. But they still just gross me out. I know what my kids do in the bath anyway.
And, AND the kids don't even LIKE the bath toys. It doesn't matter if they picked it out at the store, all excited (K with a Yo Gabba Gabba ship and characters) or if they got an elaborate bath play set for a birthday (S), they want to bring some other, non-bath toy into the tub with them. Never fails. The pile of "bath toys" sits in the box next to the tub (or gets dumped, whole sale, into the water then forgotten or thrown on the floor) and they bring a car or plastic bug or something into the water instead.
So, I've been slowly throwing away the bath toys. I'm done. I only bought one bath toy with my own money (the one for K). The rest were baby shower or birthday gifts. Other people seem to love bath toys. As the toys get moldy and hard to clean, I throw them away. The kids have yet to notice.
I know you can do that thing where you hot glue the openings to the squirty toys, but I don't feel like doing that either. And most of the toys were already in the water before I learned that tip. I don't like having the kids' stuff encroach into every area of the house anyway, so my goal is to do away with the bath toy box and they can just bring non-porous toys in and out as desired. No stash of toys cluttering the bath ledge.
Now I should start a campaign to show all new mothers that bath toys are an unnecessary expense and cause more harm than anything else. Maybe we can shut down the bath toy industry!
Then we can move on to the bath "art" toys. Not quite as disgusting as the toys, but just as annoying to deal with.
November 2, 2012
October 19, 2012
Thirty-three
I am now thirty-three! My birthday was on Monday, the 15th. And now I'm another year older. Still not experiencing any age anxiety. So far, I think the 30s are the best age. You are more settled into yourself. For me, I finally feel more my age. I was always too old for my younger self. As a teenager and twenty-something I was constantly frustrated by people my own age, including myself sometimes. As a teenager I would actually think, "I can't wait to grow up and be done thinking and feeling this way!"
Now that I'm in my thirties, I think I'm more what I want to be. I have responsibilities and beliefs and ideas that are well suited to my age and life station. It's nice!
For this birthday, I got to do some great things. I was in a very good mood this year, which doesn't always happen around birthdays. Even though I don't mind getting older, I don't usually like my birthday very much.
Jim arranged a surprise date for us on Sunday. He didn't tell me what we were doing but he arranged for my brother-in-law to baby-sit and I knew we had to leave to go downtown at 1pm. We stayed home from church so the morning wouldn't be rushed and spent some time as a family. It was not too cold and a little rainy, so we went for a walk in the neighborhood to enjoy the autumnal beauty.
S was in a two-year-old mood, so that part wasn't fun. But the other three of us had a great time taking pictures, collecting leaves and acorns and just walking in a rainy fall wonderland.
Years ago I started a tradition of collecting leaves and other natural things in autumn and putting them in a vase to make a pretty centerpiece. K helped me find leaves, a cool seed pod and some acorn tops the day before and then we got a few more during our walk.
Now that I'm in my thirties, I think I'm more what I want to be. I have responsibilities and beliefs and ideas that are well suited to my age and life station. It's nice!
For this birthday, I got to do some great things. I was in a very good mood this year, which doesn't always happen around birthdays. Even though I don't mind getting older, I don't usually like my birthday very much.
Jim arranged a surprise date for us on Sunday. He didn't tell me what we were doing but he arranged for my brother-in-law to baby-sit and I knew we had to leave to go downtown at 1pm. We stayed home from church so the morning wouldn't be rushed and spent some time as a family. It was not too cold and a little rainy, so we went for a walk in the neighborhood to enjoy the autumnal beauty.
Years ago I started a tradition of collecting leaves and other natural things in autumn and putting them in a vase to make a pretty centerpiece. K helped me find leaves, a cool seed pod and some acorn tops the day before and then we got a few more during our walk.
After getting S for a nap, we had a little church service for K, Jim and I. Then we got all dressed up to leave. This is not the best picture, but oh, well.
On the way, James told me we were going to Navy Pier and had me guess what we were doing there. He had bought tickets to a play at the Shakespeare Theater! I've always wanted to go there but hadn't gotten around to it yet. They actually had no Shakespearean plays (?) running this season, so we saw one called The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart by a Scottish acting troupe. And it was definitely strange!
The seating was tables and chairs like a restaurant, the actors move all around the room and the whole thing was very interactive. To begin, a few of the actors played and sang some Scottish ballads. Then the other actors came around to tell us all to rip up napkins on our table to throw when given the cue so it would make snow for the setting of the play during a blizzard. Everything was really creative like that: the main actress "drove" to a conference on the shoulders of another actor while more ripped up napkins were thrown at her "windshield". The actors spoke in the round, trading off rhyming lines all around the room. They sat, stood, and laid on tables; I got faux strangled with my scarf in one scene; an old lady pretended to karate chop the actor challenging her during another scene; a guy had one of the actresses sit on his lap for a bit; and one poor guy got a lap dance/dry hump from one actress and two actors!
As a whole, it was a bit more risqué and embarrassment inducing for me than I prefer, but I enjoyed being out and experiencing something new so much that I just suspended the "normal" for a while. It was so well acted, funny and creative. Plus I love Scottish accents, so it was great.
The theater is beautiful, with lots of windows in the hallways and stuff so you can see out over the Pier and the lake.
After the play, we had amazing soup at a restaurant called Riva. Lobster Bisque for me and Clam Chowder for Jim. Since that restaurant was more expensive that we wanted, we decided to spread our culinary experiences out. After the soups (and bread they give you for free), we went to a Greek place in the food court for gyros, then to the Hagen Daas counter for dessert. It was great to spend the day together and have some different experiences.
The next day, my actual birthday, I went to work for the morning then picked up James and met my parents at a local asian restaurant, Chi Tung, for lunch. They recently added a Hibachi grill and the lunch prices are half the cost of dinner, so we did that. Another new thing for us since we had never done Hibachi. The chef does all kinds of tricks with the food and his tools while cooking your meal.
See the onion volcano smoking in front of him? The food tasted great and we had a fun time. Since it was my birthday, I also got free ice cream with a candle and a coupon to come eat for free next year.
To cap off another gorgeous fall day, the boys, James and I went outside when we got home to play in the leaves. I raked up all the leaves I could find in our yard (not a lot because our landlord has a lawn service that mows everything up once a week) and we jumped in them for a bit. S was hesitant at first because I don't think he remembered it from last year. But then he got used to it and we all had a blast.
With 33 starting out like this, I think it's going to be a great year!
October 9, 2012
It's all too much
Sometimes parenting young children just seems impossible. And I don't feel like I've been doing very well lately. Just overwhelmed by everything.
My house shows the signs-it's pretty dirty.
Our meals have shown the signs-I haven't cooked much and we've had some less than fulfilling meals lately. I've realized that most mornings I don't even fully feed S. He grabs cheese sticks from the fridge, takes a few bites of cereal or whatever I'm eating, and maybe some fruit. Part of that is his fault, though. He won't eat while sitting down in the morning for the past few months, and I never know which foods will interest him each day. I just don't have the energy/desire to get him breakfasts that he won't eat.
I went back to work in the middle of August, and that's been great, but it also takes up a lot more of my time than I think it will. It also cuts us down to only one day a week when James and I are both off of work at the same time. And that day is Sunday so we have church and often family or other obligations.
We've all passed around a crazy cold that I've had for three weeks that keeps knocking me down at random times. That's the joy of the changing weather. I'm still SOOO thankful for a healthy family that just gets a few colds, flus and other normal things each year.
Annnnnd S is very much a two-and-a-half-year-old. I almost forgot how annoying/frustrating/challenging this age can be. I remembered the cute parts, and still enjoy those. He's learning new words all the time, learning to show affection more, showing more personality, learning letters and numbers and colors and all that stuff, etc. He makes the cutest faces-propped up with his chin in his hand to watch TV, laughing while playing with his brother. Purposeful hugs and kisses are so sweet after those early years before they know how to really show they love you.
But then there are the tantrums. And S is good at those. He cries, throws himself on the ground, throws things, hits, makes himself throw up sometimes. It's just so exhausting to go through those. Sometimes I'm not sure I have the wherewithal to fight his natural kid tendencies to misbehave for the next year or two. Two and three are such crazy ages. I'm sure I'll rally eventually, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes.
I have a couple of friends who have or are about to have their third kids. The idea of being pregnant and having another kid is completely terrifying to me. I wasn't sure if I would change my mind about having more children, but I don't think so. James is with me. No more babies! We're ready to have older kids who can do things themselves and with us, instead of what we have now: either following them around while they do what they want, or dragging them around while they act crazy while we do what we need to do.
K is definitely more into the easy, doing stuff with us phase. And I LOVE it! However, I don't want to just endure these times with young children, because I know everyone says they go so fast, and I'll miss it when it's gone, and it's such a special time, etc. But it is so overwhelming. And I think I will be glad when it has passed. In the mean time, I'm trying to do more than just stay afloat!
My house shows the signs-it's pretty dirty.
Our meals have shown the signs-I haven't cooked much and we've had some less than fulfilling meals lately. I've realized that most mornings I don't even fully feed S. He grabs cheese sticks from the fridge, takes a few bites of cereal or whatever I'm eating, and maybe some fruit. Part of that is his fault, though. He won't eat while sitting down in the morning for the past few months, and I never know which foods will interest him each day. I just don't have the energy/desire to get him breakfasts that he won't eat.
I went back to work in the middle of August, and that's been great, but it also takes up a lot more of my time than I think it will. It also cuts us down to only one day a week when James and I are both off of work at the same time. And that day is Sunday so we have church and often family or other obligations.
We've all passed around a crazy cold that I've had for three weeks that keeps knocking me down at random times. That's the joy of the changing weather. I'm still SOOO thankful for a healthy family that just gets a few colds, flus and other normal things each year.
Annnnnd S is very much a two-and-a-half-year-old. I almost forgot how annoying/frustrating/challenging this age can be. I remembered the cute parts, and still enjoy those. He's learning new words all the time, learning to show affection more, showing more personality, learning letters and numbers and colors and all that stuff, etc. He makes the cutest faces-propped up with his chin in his hand to watch TV, laughing while playing with his brother. Purposeful hugs and kisses are so sweet after those early years before they know how to really show they love you.
But then there are the tantrums. And S is good at those. He cries, throws himself on the ground, throws things, hits, makes himself throw up sometimes. It's just so exhausting to go through those. Sometimes I'm not sure I have the wherewithal to fight his natural kid tendencies to misbehave for the next year or two. Two and three are such crazy ages. I'm sure I'll rally eventually, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes.
I have a couple of friends who have or are about to have their third kids. The idea of being pregnant and having another kid is completely terrifying to me. I wasn't sure if I would change my mind about having more children, but I don't think so. James is with me. No more babies! We're ready to have older kids who can do things themselves and with us, instead of what we have now: either following them around while they do what they want, or dragging them around while they act crazy while we do what we need to do.
K is definitely more into the easy, doing stuff with us phase. And I LOVE it! However, I don't want to just endure these times with young children, because I know everyone says they go so fast, and I'll miss it when it's gone, and it's such a special time, etc. But it is so overwhelming. And I think I will be glad when it has passed. In the mean time, I'm trying to do more than just stay afloat!
September 25, 2012
Fall is in the air
Finally, after a long, HOT, mostly dry summer, autumn has arrived! Thank God.
My favorite season was highly anticipated by, it seems, the whole country. Pinterest was covered with autumn themed ideas/photos back in July. I assume that was because summer started in March this year and thus threw everything off.
Anyway, this year we celebrated Labor Day with our first ever family movie date.
My favorite season was highly anticipated by, it seems, the whole country. Pinterest was covered with autumn themed ideas/photos back in July. I assume that was because summer started in March this year and thus threw everything off.
Anyway, this year we celebrated Labor Day with our first ever family movie date.
We're not fans of bringing babies or young children to the movie theater. Probably in part because our children are usually insane. I like to think it's because they are highly intelligent. And boys. But that's probably just denial.
But this year, we figured that S would do OK because he can sit through movies he likes at home on a pretty regular basis. Especially if he has snacks to keep him happy. Kid loves to eat! (I claim credit/blame for that one.) We went to see Brave at a local theater that we already had two free tickets for. S was free, so we only had to pay $7 to get K's ticket! Plus, oh, $50 for one drink and some popcorn. Just kidding, but not by much. We are bad and usually sneak in our own candy, because it's $1 for a movie sized box at Target instead of $3-5 in house. It went pretty well and the movie was decent. I now want to name my imaginary daughter Merida. And I can tell that a great deal of my personality can be traced to my Scottish blood (at least according to the stubborn, independent, brave, sweets-loving characters in the movie).
The other fun fall-y thing we did this year was to go apple picking for the first time. My best friend and her family have gone to a place in Michigan City, IN for a few years called Radke Farms. The apples were only $1 a pound and they don't spray the apples with chemicals.
The day was absolutely, perfectly beautiful! About 75 degrees, partially sunny, big fluffy clouds, a bit of wind. I couldn't have manufactured a better day.
We used these ingenious little tools to pick the apples out of the trees. It was a recycled 2 liter pop bottle with a hole in the side and a notch at the top attached to some PVC pipe. You caught the apple stem in the notch, then the apple fell into the bottle and you could check it, eat it or put it in your bag. K got very good with his!
S thought it was some kind of toy.
And, of course, I had to tell them repeatedly that the sticks were NOT swords. They occasionally agreed.
Here are my boys with my friend's little girl and her niece. S is not interested in pictures so we barely got one with him standing still. :)
K's bucket.
Tasting the merchandise. He did a lot of that.
We all had a great time. Only a little bit of attitude from S (he's very two) and some "don't eat that rotten apple!" and "watch out for the tractor!"
After picking all our apples, we a tractor pulling a wagon gave us a ride back to the store. I ended up with 29 pounds of apples! It was two tote bags and one bucket full and I did not expect it to be 29 pounds!
My best friend, Sarah, and one of her daughters on the tractor wagon ride.
So far I've made apple pie, two kinds of apple crisp, crockpot apple butter, and carmel apple pork chops. As well as eating some. And we still have some left! Definitely worth it.
Funny side note was the port-a-potty at the farm. They were just for us. Ha, ha!
Now, I will leave you with my favorite picture from the day. My darling boy overlooking the orchard on our perfect day. This is now my phone background:
Truth
I read Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas about two months ago and it was FANTASTIC! A little dense in places since it's a biography of a very prolific, intense man during a very intense, complicated place and time (World War II Germany). Bonhoeffer's life was very inspiring and I highly recommend the book. I'm now planning to read some of Bonhoeffer's own work. Especially after reading excerpts like this one:
It is only the cynic who claims "to speak the truth" at all times and in all places to all men in the same way, but who, in fact, displays nothing but a lifeless image of the truth....He dons the halo of the fanatical devotee of truth who can make no allowance for human weaknesses; but, in fact, he is destroying the living truth between men. He wounds shame, desecrates mystery, breaks confidence, betrays the community in which he lives, and laughs arrogantly at the devastation he has wrought and at the human weakness which "cannot bear the truth."
~From Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
It is only the cynic who claims "to speak the truth" at all times and in all places to all men in the same way, but who, in fact, displays nothing but a lifeless image of the truth....He dons the halo of the fanatical devotee of truth who can make no allowance for human weaknesses; but, in fact, he is destroying the living truth between men. He wounds shame, desecrates mystery, breaks confidence, betrays the community in which he lives, and laughs arrogantly at the devastation he has wrought and at the human weakness which "cannot bear the truth."
~From Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
August 22, 2012
Oh, this crazy summer
Now that summer weather seems to be returning, with temperatures getting back to the 80's and 90's, summer is in many ways almost over. And it was a very full one.
A 40th wedding anniversary party for my parents, week long visit from our Japanese friend and her daughter, two camping trips in two different states, a baby shower, a wedding shower, etc. And on top of all that, we were preparing for my brother-in-law, Stephen, to move in.
After almost two years here (yay for not moving!), we had to take everything out of S's room to clear it out for Stephen. He's 19 and decided to move in with us because there are better job opportunities here than in rural Ohio. He was ready to leave the house, but not interested in college at this point. So we let him know a while back that he was welcome to come here. He told us in the spring that he definitely was going to come. I'm sure the fact that his girlfriend is going to school on the north side had NOTHING to do with his final choice. :)
So, I spent a good part of the summer throwing things away, donating them, consolidating them, reconfiguring our storage space, researching bedding and storage options and more. We ended up getting a bunk bed for the kids since they are sharing a room. S isn't quite ready for the unrestricted-ness of the bottom bunk, so for now the room is quite packed. Two dressers, a bunk bed, a changing table, a crib and their toys all in one room. Thank God the room is a decent size! And we found it very satisfying to buy our kids a new bed just for them. We realized that James and I had never bought a new bed for us or the kids (all used or hand-me-down) and only once had either of us had a new bed before we were married (my sister and I got the most uncomfortable metal futon bunk beds when I was in high school). It was cool to be able to buy something nice for our boys that will last them a while.
The transition hasn't been easy for the boys. K loves the bunk bed but S (who has been my good sleeper) hasn't adjusted well and often keeps K awake as a result. There is more light in this room than S's old one. He is also right by the door, which opens onto a small hallway that leads to both the bathroom and kitchen. So lots more noise and activity to keep him up at night, and nap time. Not to mention the fact that Stephen's bedroom can only be reached through the boys' bedroom. S is used to being in the back room so all the coming and going, lights and noises, and easy access to the toy box next to his crib and the bottom bunk has made sleeping harder. We never know when he'll start throwing things on K's bed or pile all the toys he can reach in his crib with him.
It's been 2 1/2 weeks so I'm hoping that it calms down and we all get used to the changes soon.
Now on to our busy fall!
A 40th wedding anniversary party for my parents, week long visit from our Japanese friend and her daughter, two camping trips in two different states, a baby shower, a wedding shower, etc. And on top of all that, we were preparing for my brother-in-law, Stephen, to move in.
After almost two years here (yay for not moving!), we had to take everything out of S's room to clear it out for Stephen. He's 19 and decided to move in with us because there are better job opportunities here than in rural Ohio. He was ready to leave the house, but not interested in college at this point. So we let him know a while back that he was welcome to come here. He told us in the spring that he definitely was going to come. I'm sure the fact that his girlfriend is going to school on the north side had NOTHING to do with his final choice. :)
So, I spent a good part of the summer throwing things away, donating them, consolidating them, reconfiguring our storage space, researching bedding and storage options and more. We ended up getting a bunk bed for the kids since they are sharing a room. S isn't quite ready for the unrestricted-ness of the bottom bunk, so for now the room is quite packed. Two dressers, a bunk bed, a changing table, a crib and their toys all in one room. Thank God the room is a decent size! And we found it very satisfying to buy our kids a new bed just for them. We realized that James and I had never bought a new bed for us or the kids (all used or hand-me-down) and only once had either of us had a new bed before we were married (my sister and I got the most uncomfortable metal futon bunk beds when I was in high school). It was cool to be able to buy something nice for our boys that will last them a while.
The transition hasn't been easy for the boys. K loves the bunk bed but S (who has been my good sleeper) hasn't adjusted well and often keeps K awake as a result. There is more light in this room than S's old one. He is also right by the door, which opens onto a small hallway that leads to both the bathroom and kitchen. So lots more noise and activity to keep him up at night, and nap time. Not to mention the fact that Stephen's bedroom can only be reached through the boys' bedroom. S is used to being in the back room so all the coming and going, lights and noises, and easy access to the toy box next to his crib and the bottom bunk has made sleeping harder. We never know when he'll start throwing things on K's bed or pile all the toys he can reach in his crib with him.
It's been 2 1/2 weeks so I'm hoping that it calms down and we all get used to the changes soon.
Now on to our busy fall!
August 11, 2012
Camping, Part Du Ex Machina (sort of)
For years and years now, James and I have been traveling from Illinois to Ohio to visit his family. That is, of course, when we and/or his family have lived close enough. When we were in Colorado or they were in New York, then we didn't see each other as much. In the close times, though, its only about a three hour drive. Not super close or cheap (lots of tolls and high gas prices) but very, very doable.
Twice a year, James's sister and her family come in from New York to visit. We always make sure to be there at those times so we can see them. And we all stay at my in-laws' house. It is a decent sized farm house that they rent in the country, but the families keep growing, as families are wont to do. Last Christmas the four of us, the now five of James's sister's family, the other four of James's family (parents and two brothers), James's 96-year-old grandmother (who lives with his parents most of each year) and a friend of the family who was living there for a while were all in the house at the same time! For the math averse, that's 15 people aged nine months to 96 living together for a few days in the Ohio winter! Two babies, three young kids, two teenagers, five twenty to thirty-somthings, two middle agers and one senior. Whew.
Needless to say, it was crazy. We were sleeping on all kinds of surfaces and all sharing one bathroom. It's always fun to have the kids together since they keep each other busy. The grown-ups enjoy hanging out in the evenings to watch movies or play games or talk. The grandparents have all their grandkids under one roof to lavish with love and playtime. But it was crazy! We love seeing everyone, but there is NO alone time and NO break from all the noise and busy-ness.
This summer, due to the fullness but also to make this family trip more of a vacation, we decided to camp at a nearby campground at a place called Sauder Village. James used to work at the Sauder Heritage Inn when we lived in Ohio a couple of years ago. We love to go to the Historic Village and were planning to make a visit this time around. So we booked a campsite.
The campground was beautiful! Right on a little lake. So we got to go to sleep to this:
Twice a year, James's sister and her family come in from New York to visit. We always make sure to be there at those times so we can see them. And we all stay at my in-laws' house. It is a decent sized farm house that they rent in the country, but the families keep growing, as families are wont to do. Last Christmas the four of us, the now five of James's sister's family, the other four of James's family (parents and two brothers), James's 96-year-old grandmother (who lives with his parents most of each year) and a friend of the family who was living there for a while were all in the house at the same time! For the math averse, that's 15 people aged nine months to 96 living together for a few days in the Ohio winter! Two babies, three young kids, two teenagers, five twenty to thirty-somthings, two middle agers and one senior. Whew.
Needless to say, it was crazy. We were sleeping on all kinds of surfaces and all sharing one bathroom. It's always fun to have the kids together since they keep each other busy. The grown-ups enjoy hanging out in the evenings to watch movies or play games or talk. The grandparents have all their grandkids under one roof to lavish with love and playtime. But it was crazy! We love seeing everyone, but there is NO alone time and NO break from all the noise and busy-ness.
This summer, due to the fullness but also to make this family trip more of a vacation, we decided to camp at a nearby campground at a place called Sauder Village. James used to work at the Sauder Heritage Inn when we lived in Ohio a couple of years ago. We love to go to the Historic Village and were planning to make a visit this time around. So we booked a campsite.
The campground was beautiful! Right on a little lake. So we got to go to sleep to this:
And wake up to this:
Now this picture is a bit deceiving because it was the last day and no one else was around anymore. However, the first night the campground was totally full and the sites are pretty close to each other. The fire pits you see above were one per site and the one James and K are standing by was for the next site over from us. That was the scene of the trouble our first night.
It was more challenging with young kids to be camping at night, especially to try to get them in bed at a decent time. I came back to the tent about seven the first night to get the kids ready since they were tired. After all our preparations: pjs, snacks, teeth brushing, arranging the tent, reading, etc. It was still super bright outside and there were people talking all around. I spent a couple of hours trying to help the kids wind down and shut out the noises. Both almost fell asleep only to wake up again. K almost fell asleep while we were reading at 8, then ended up awake until after 10. James was hanging out with his brother and I thought maybe I'd get a little time alone while the kids slept. No dice.
The group next to us was a bunch of guys. The campground quiet time wasn't until 11pm (which seemed later than normal to me) and the guys took the eleven very seriously. They talked and played games until eleven exactly. Then they left, which was nice. Around when they left, the family on the other side (who seemed odious, based on the way they talked and interacted with each other) came back to get ready for bed. They left their car on, with headlights blaring into our tent for over twenty minutes while they got ready. ARG! After they settled down, James came back.
Then around midnight, the guys came back. I figured they'd go to sleep then, since it was after quiet time and they'd already been talking and doing stuff FOREVER. Sorry guys next door, but I don't care how much you run, camp and fish. You are stupid. SHUT UP!
But they did not. They started over. Rebuilt the fire, got out more food, continued talking at normal volume right next to our tent. One guy outright said he had no intention of going to bed until 1:30.
I passive aggressively flashed my flashlight at them and shushed them for a while. I wanted to go talk to them, point out that they were breaking the rules and I was prepared to break their legs (I get angry when sleep deprived) but they were drinking and there were other campers trying to sleep too so I didn't want to escalate things. James finally called security at the hotel and they came about 1:15 or so. The guys then spent FORTY-FIVE minutes getting ready for bed. Putting out the fire, putting away the food, etc. All while STILL talking. Then they got into the tent and giggled and talked like Junior High girls before finally going to sleep after two in the morning. Of course, it took another hour or so for James and I to sleep. Annnnnnd, K woke up at 5:30. I really wanted to send him to the neighbors' tent, but I didn't.
Not such a fun night of camping.
The second night was nice. Only two other people were still there on Sunday night, and they were quieter than before. And it was only hot, not scorching. We actually slept for most of the night.
The third night was scorching. I checked my phone at 2:30 in the morning, while James and I lay there not sleeping a wink, and the temperature was still 85 degrees. Outside. We got up and took the top (the rain cover) off the tent for even a hint of a breeze. The tent was also full of ants, so that wasn't fun to have them crawling all over us. I later realized that there is a cord flap on the side of the tent if you want to hook up electrical devices through the tent that we didn't zip shut. And the kids had gotten crumbs all over, so it was ant city. At least they didn't bite. But we still didn't get much sleep. And woke at six to rain in the tent. At least the rain was cooling.
We kept dreaming of camping in the fall. To wear sweaters and have a fire going. To be chilly in the morning and pile together for warmth. That sounded a lot more fun. This summer is proving once and for all that we are not summer people. I hate being hot. It makes me angry. If I'm cold, I just get quiet, pile on the clothes and blankets and get some hot tea. Much better than angry.
So, I'm not sure if it was the answer to our overcrowding at the house to camp. It was more work and more inconvenience, despite the beauty and novelty. And having a nice, large bathroom we didn't have to wait in line to use. Back to the drawing board, I guess!
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