We went camping with Grandma and Grandpa Bradley and the Pruetts on July 4th. We went to Perryville Campground or as we call it, "Camping on the Highway." It's a little private campground right off Highway 55 in Perryville, MO. You can see the highway from our cabin-- so it's not really the great outdoors but it's pretty perfect for camping with little ones. It's small, it has a playground, a pool, and a small lake. There are plenty of things for our kids to do, yet their little legs don't have to walk all over to do it.
We left after church on Sunday. We fed the kids and planned on them taking their afternoon naps on the way there. Not so much. Logan was too excited to sleep but too sleepy to be good. And Tyson got hungry halfway there. We attempted to stop at a rest area but it was closed. (As in torn up.gone. closed! )So we stopped at the next exit and saw a Catholic church and school. They had a playground (in a cemetary, no less). There was a sign that said "NO tresspassing" but the gate was open so we decided the catholics would be forgiving and gracious to some weary travelers and we played anyway! It was a fun playground. They had one new playset but everything else was all of the old school dangerous stuff, like a merry-go-round!! Logan got super hot so we let him drink a giant Sprite (that they gave us for FREE at McDonalds).
It was a national holiday, after all, and his doctor said he's allowed to partake in the sugary stuff on national holidays.
We got back on the road and even though the kids didn't sleep they did better after our stop. Logan even read a few books.
We got to the campsite at the same time as Grandma and Grandpa. We checked into a little camping cabin. It was a one room cabin with a double bed and a bunk bed. Of course, our cabin also had 2 pack 'n plays (that we brought-- along with an entire VAN LOAD of other kid/baby gear). Logan followed everybody around begging to go swimming while we unloaded. Finally we got our swim stuff on and started to the pool. Just as we were headed to the pool, Julie and Ryan got there with Nick and Alex. We all had fun playing in the pool.
It was Tyson's first time to go swimming. He wasn't sure he liked it. But everyone else there sure thought he was a cutie!
We got out of the pool when the kids started getting hungry. We went to the cabins and ate hamburgers and hotdogs. Grandpa had grilled them ahead of time and kept them in the crockpot so we had a nice dinner without anyone having to do the cooking! Tyson ate Cheerios instead of hotdogs!
Logan had trouble reaching the table.. finally he decided to just sit on the table!
After dinner we fished and played. Our cabins were lake (pond) side. All of the boys liked catching fish.
Logan and Alex also loved digging in the dirt. Logan actually rolled around in the dirt.
Tyson sat on a blanket and played with toys.
I'm pretty sure Tyson never cried the whole time we were there. He loved it.
After fishing, we made a fire and roasted marshmellows.
Nick and Alex wouldn't eat the marshmallows. They just stuck them in the fire, burned them, and got another one. Grandma ended up with quite a large pile of burned marshmallows. Logan preferred to just eat marshmallows but he didn't want them cooked.
It wasn't quite dark yet so Grandma and Grandpa took the boys up to play on the playground and gave the parents a break. (Tyson was already asleep in the cabin). When it got dark, we got to watch a great fireworks show. Logan loved the fireworks. He even got to play with some sparklers at the campsite.
All the boys took showers and then went to bed. Logan stayed up until 9:30!! He has NEVER been up that late (well, I guess when he was a newborn he was up that late some but not in the last 1 1/2 years of his life!)
He and Tyson still woke up at 6:40, but they slept great all night in the cabin.
Logan sleeping in the cabin. (He was asleep the second his head hit the pillow1)
Tyson sleeping in the cabin.
We went out to breakfast at a really great bakery (I know, we were really "roughing it".)
Tyson took a nap in the cabin. And then "helped" mommy pack up. - notice the airconditioner (told you we were roughing it.)
The big boys played some more on the playground, and we all packed up, and headed home.
Both boys DID sleep on the way home. We were all fairly exhausted by the end of the trip.
I realized that once you have kids, you don't go on trips to get to relax. But you sure do get to see a lot of happy smiles on your little ones faces. And that makes up for the exhaustion you feel at the end!
No comments:
Post a Comment