Reading? How boring

I like that Tyler is still soldiering on with his book in this last shot.

Camping at Lake Patagonia

I want to think of our family as One that Camps and Hikes.  After this weekend, I'm not sure that this is to be.  A few days ago, I was seized by anxiety about the impending summer and decided that if we were going to go camping anytime this year, right now- this weekend, in fact, was when it was going to happen.

Driving home this afternoon, I felt like a failure.  I had planned and executed this trip due to the fact that Tyler has had to work late pretty much every day this week.  I forgot a few items when I was packing: all toiletries except a brush and rubber bands (toothbrushes, toothpaste, contact solution and cases), tongs to turn the hot dogs, and I didn't get enough wood to have an evening AND morning fire.  This is not where the failure comes in.

 No, the failure comes in when you consider that the children were AWFUL the entire time.  They cried and whined about e v e r y t h i n g.  Lillian and Nora shared a sleeping bag that we opened up and folded like a hamburger, something we've done on other camping trips, this time it was unacceptable to both parties.  I brought the bear jammies for Ethan when he wanted the rocketship ones.  And, (this has been a growing trend around our house) they complained that they couldn't eat constantly.  I only brought so much food, the rations were not meager, but the lack of choices was devastating and could not be recovered from.

The lake was too cold to swim in, the boat tours were pricey, and Tyler has a semi-unexplained hatred of paddle boats, so we decided to take a hike.  This was a bad decision.  The kids were OK for about... half a mile... of our planned 2.5-mile hike.  It was too hot (approx high 70's), too sunny, not enough food, not enough of the food they want to eat, too much walking, not enough scenery, and I LOST ONE OF NORA'S SPECIAL ROCKS.

Side note: did you know that Nora loves rocks?  She always has at least one on her person, a special collection stowed away in her closet that she takes out and admires frequently, and I am constantly reminding her to take them out of her mouth.  At least once a day, I make her spit one out.

This picture was shot at the turn-around spot by the creek... right before Ethan wet his pants (something he hasn't done in a long time) and proceeded to cry the rest of the way back out of embarrassment and anger that I hadn't thought to bring him extra pants.

Tyler ranked the hike as a FAIL but the kids really liked the fire, so it was a net gain.  Lillian asked me when we'd go camping again, and I told her when she turned 10... in 3 years.