I've just about decided that I will no longer leave my house. I'm going to stay in bed with my head buried under the covers. I can't catch a break.
This camping weekend was a series of set backs, one after the other.
It started right after we arrived. Actually, it started before we left. We got out 2 hours later than I had planned. Partly due to my lateness of packing and partly due to DS moving like molases.
So we finally arrive and the campground is super crowded. I expected that though because it was Free Camping Weekend. Pay for Friday, get Saturday free. We get to our assigned space and it's really a nice one. The lady checking us in told me it was her favorite in the whole campground. So far so good.
We get out the tent. It's a real neat one. The poles are already in the tent. All you do is fold out the tent, pop up the middle, snap it in place then stake it down. I got this style after I saw the one my nephew had. It goes up in a flashe. Mine had only been used once before, two years ago at our family reunion. Well, we lay it out but can't get the middle to pop up. It finally does, right as one of the connecting poles pops out of place.
We spend the next 45 minutes trying to put this thing back together. Finally I give up. It's not going to budge. I had to venture out and find a
Walmart, KMart, any kind of mart. I was so mad. I have 3 other tents at home and here I was spending money on yet another one.
Got a new tent, set it up and get out my air mattress. The cords to connect the pump to the car power are missing and there's not enough charge in the pump to inflate the mattress. So not only am I in a much smaller tent that I had to spend more money on, I'm stuck sleeping on the ground with no padding.
I didn't feel like cooking dinner since it was already after 8pm, getting cold and I didn't bring our latern. So our first night's dinner was Burger King. Great camp food......not!
For breakfast the next morning, I had planned pancakes and sausage. Forgot the sausage and forgot the syrup. So we had plain pancakes for breakfast. Forgot the milk so DS got to drink Capri Sun. I had coffee, but I forgot the creamer. Gee....it's a wonder I remembered to bring anything.
On the agenda I decided to take DS to a local skate park and let him play around. Then we were headed over to the beach. At the skate park, DS was too timid to go down any hills so all he did was cruise around the flat parts and sort of roll up partway on some hills. This kid has been begging to go to a skate park and this is all he does?? So off to the beach. Well actually Point Reyes National Seashore, about 30 miles away. Once we get there, I realize we are in the headlands, not at the shore. The nearest beach is another 20 miles. Spent a few hours at the beach. I had remembered to pack us a picnic lunch, but didn't bring a blanket or towels. So I had nothing to sit on. But DS had fun playing in the sand and the freezing cold water. Spent a few hours here then headed back.
That night the campground had outdoor movies. They showed Horton Hears a Who. We hadn't seen it yet so we decided to watch it. So funny, over half the people got up and left after the first clip. Very few stuck around for the others. I finally had to call it a night after the 3rd one. I was freezing even though I had a hoodie and a jacket on and was wrapped in a wool blanket. About half way back to my tent my legs started cramping so bad I almost fell over. Last summer I got a lot of painful leg cramps but haven't gotten any in months. I think it was due to the cold and the sleeping on the ground. It lasted about 10 minutes and I was in pain. Finally it eased up enough for me to keep walking.
I changed into sweats, kept on both the hoodied and the jacket, got in my sleeping bag and doubled up the wool blanket and laid it over me. Finally about 3am I was warmed up enough to take the blanket and coat off. Before I went to bed I was seriously tempted to go to sleep in the car with the heater on. Figured that wasn't so smart.
Today seemed to start off well. The campground had a pancake breakfast and all moms were free. Finally had some syrup (and sausage) to go with our panackes.
When it was time to pack up, DS refused to help. He tends to get like this though. He doesn't want to leave so he goes off and sulks. So once again I'm packing up camp all on my own. But this time I was doing it on Mother's Day!
Stopped at the outlets on the way home to do some shopping. Ended up buying some shoes and a pair of shorts for DS. All I found for myself were a few kitchen gadgets. I just wasn't into shopping today, which is very rare for me. Combined with the weekend I had, the fact that I already had to shop for a new tent, and the fact that I really don't know how much longer I'm going to be employed, I just couldn't spend much money.
So, not the best camping trip I've had. But I will give DS credit. Even with all the set backs, he handled himself quite well. Especially with the tent. Both of us were getting so frustrated. This is the kind of thing that could really set him off. I expected him to storm off, cursing and blaming me. But he stuck in there and kept trying to help. Everyone said I was so brave for even considering a weekend alone with him. But I knew that camping was something that he loves. I even gave him the choice of camping or going to my brothers. He chose camping And a normal camping trip, we don't usually have so many things go wrong. So no frustration for him which is really what sets him off. I was really worried with each new set back that I was going to see his breaking point. But he hung in there.
I'm just glad its over.
I suspect that they weren't particularly odd names back when they received them...
I just saw Tina Turner and Cher on Oprah last week....Tina is 68 and Cher's 61. They still sound great.
This is the brother that barely made it out of high school-he has come a long way
DH had to "remind" DD to come out and wish me a Happy's Mother's Day too 
.
's.....
). I still have my Bobby Sherman albums...... the one that folds out was hung on my wall my entire teenage years.......
