Happy Campers

It being Memorial Day Weekend, we, of course, did the annual camping-with-the-inlaws thing. We met The In-Laws, the SIL, the BIL and his boys, and Nana, Bubba and Grandkid-1 up in Michigan this time. Nice campground, good location. Our site backed up against a big field perfect for baseball and football and cornhole and washer-toss. Across the field length-wise (about a football field length, including the goal areas) was the bathrooms, which were clean and well-kept. Across the field to the right and across the little gravel camp-road was the playground, nothing fancy or modern or intricate but with swings and a slide and a teeter-totter and climbing gym - the kind like I grew up with where you have to use your imagination to turn it into a pirate's ship or an African safari rather than the equipment built to look like it already. Across the field to the left and behind a row of RVs was the lake, small but pretty and serviceable. We had 5 campsites all lined up and every one of us had RVs except us. We had our trusty [lastname] Bed and Breakfast Tent which comfortably fits all 6 of us with room to move around and change and whatnot.

The weather could not have been more beautiful! Absolutely ideal! And the kids had a blast. They fished and ran and played ball and chase and bubbles and squirt guns and cornhole and played at the playground and rode their bikes. We had nightly campfires complete with stories and campfire games ("I'm hosting a picnic and I'm going to bring jelly beans and donuts. What do you want to bring?") We roasted marshmallows and counted stars. We laughed and talked and reminisced and swapped stories and did everything one is supposed to do while camping. The big boys had their projects... this year they were rewiring the back lights on The In-Laws' 5th wheel.

The children behaved adequately. Mostly my 4 kids had a blast with their 3 cousins and Nana and Bubba's grandson. Kid-1 is still on raw nerves, mostly from being off his meds and off his routine. Either one by itself he is now able to cope with but put the two together and we had our share of tantrums and lipping off.

(My thoughts here digress into an angry litany towards those who say bipolar in children doesn't exist. I have two completely different children in Kid-1 and they are 100% related to the efficacy of his medication and behavior plan! I have 3 other kids who are NOT like this... Don't tell me I am being hypersensitive to the normal mood swings of a child or that he is watching too much television and eating too much junk! But I digress...)

Really and truly it was a successful camping trip by normal standards of how a camping trip should go. Very little massive family drama, but yet a little bit to keep us on our toes. Nothing major forgotten at home, but a few minor inconveniences to work around. No huge glitches in the weather but a tiny t-storm at 3 am one morning. No deal-breaking facility issues, despite the "honey-dipper" having to make 8 (yes - EIGHT) fragrant trips to the bathrooms on Saturday due to a busted septic tank pump. No hideous car issues there or back, just one quick stop to re strap the tarp on the trailer.

Seriously - it was one of the best campouts we've had in years. We even managed to throw in a birthday party, get the BIL's wife out camping (a first), show some above and beyond appreciation for the SIL and find out about the SIL's newest quest for a new career.

Sound like I had a blast? Whatever. I am so glad to be home that it isn't even funny... Just call me Eeyore. Camping sucks. The only ting worse than camping is camping with the Extended In-Laws. BUT! I have tons of positive stories and news to relate about the trip and will be perfectly capable of making people believe that I had as much fun as I pretended to have. YAY ME! lololololol

"Sorry, Sweetheart. I don't do shorts." (Dean, Supernatural, S01E02 - Wendigo)