Camping Story #2 - The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

Good Monday morning!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. The best part is it isn't over yet! One more complete day! Life's good.

Welcome to Camp Week here on the old blog. I hope this week inspires some of you to try a little camping adventure of your own. Even if you just go one time, I assure you, it will be memorable. Next week, we'll get back to our regular schedule, because I still have a ton of "January" stuff to share with you.

I was so upset last week when we almost lost the puppies, I tried to take several pictures of them when Roxie came home to help, but I have never seen a more non-photogenic dog than Copper Faulkner. He has warm brown eyes, beautiful coloring, a well-proportioned body (even with a crooked front leg), but he takes the most goofy pictures I've ever seen. His eyes will be half-shut, his tongue looks a mile long and he is a constant blur. This in turn makes trying to photograph Sparkle difficult because she refuses to look at the camera while Copper is running crazy around the yard. Thus, it became a little weekend project to try to get a pretty picture of the two of them for the Gallery. You see the pictures. That's the best we can do!

I'll also be adding some pictures tonight of Katie's birthday bowling party. We were supposed to have her party Friday night, but she had a stomach bug. How ironic! You'll know what I mean in a few minutes after you read today's story.

The Showcase Pic of the Week is just Roxie and our Katie. It's so hard to believe she's 15 years-old.

Readership Number - I had a really good week. I had 165 hits on the blog. That number divided by seven days of the week means 23.5 hits per day. It's growing by little leaps and little bounds.

Camping Story #2 - The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (a/k/a The Night Mom Tried to Pass Out in Georgia)

We had been to Stone Mountain many times, but never on a camping trip. We planned a trip with two other families and headed for the park which is only two and half hours away. When we arrived, we were very pleased with what we saw. Beautiful campsites, places for the kids to ride their bikes, the lake within viewing and walking distance... and the best -- a brand new bathhouse. We pitched our tent as close as possible to the brand new bathhouse.

Everything was going well. The kids were playing great. We had a good dinner. We sat around the fire and told stories and ate s'mores. Josh, age five, ate too many s'mores... way too many s'mores.

It was time for bed, so we brushed our teeth and climbed into our nice, warm sleeping bags on our nice, soft air mattresses smelling of campfire smoke and other outdoorsy smells. Everyone dozed off.

We were awakened by the unmistakable sound of a child being sick in the middle of the night. It's probably mean to say, but when you're in a tent, you can hear everyone and everything within ten campsites of your own tent... so in your heart of hearts you're kind of hoping it's a kid in someone else's tent. No such luck! "Which one is it? Which one is it?" Mike and I were already climbing out of sleeping bags to assess the damage... and damage there was.

It was Josh. "Please tell me he didn't get sick in our shoes?" I asked Mike feebly since he was already up and trying to find the lanterns.

"Nope. Just him, his sleeping bag and one coat." Minimal damage in camping terms.

Mike stripped Josh down, tossed him over to me for a change of PJs and illness assessment, and headed out the door with the bag, coat and Josh's clothes. (We decided to toss the PJs.) Mike spent an hour in the new bathhouse cleaning the nylon sleeping bag and the coat, and came back for the verdict.

"No fever. No stomachache. My professional opinion is too many s'mores."

"How many did he have?" Mike asked.

"I would have to say from the damage report... more than one or two." And then we slept. The next morning, Josh woke up happy and well, and we decided to count our blessings we did not have a stomach bug. (Not to mention, we gave him a s'more limit he was to abide by for the rest of his life -- 1 or 2 per sitting. NO MORE!)

We spent the day hiking, exploring and playing with the other families. It was a good day. We were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for our dinner, and I was setting the picnic table when I looked over at three year-old Grant. His flushed cheeks and droopy eyes could have been the result of playing hard all day, but there was something else... something I had seen before. "Grant, are you feeling... ," I started to ask... but never got to finish. Grant got sick all over the picnic table. I knew for a fact no s'mores had been eaten yet, so I feared this might be something more serious.

His mom came over to check him out and in our professional opinions, Grant had a stomach bug. As the dads cleaned the table, discussions were held as to what we should do. Grant's family decided to pack up and head to Alabama as quickly as possible so they could be home in the event other family members came down with the illness, also. One problem. It is not a five minute job to take down a tent and pack everything up, so it was decided Mike, Grant's mom and dad and all the boys available would help pack up... and I would hold and comfort sick little Grant.

I sat in a chair away from the commotion and held the feverish little boy for a little over an hour knowing the possibility of my catching his illness was going to be huge. (To this day, I can't hold a sick little boy and not kiss the top of his head, rub his back and whisper in his ear that everything is going to be okay.) So in my mind, I knew in just a few hours I, too, would be in the brand new bathhouse at Stone Mountain, Georgia throwing up. I just decided to "go with it."

We said good-bye to Grant and our friends about 10:30 that night, and once again headed to bed. No s'mores had been eaten. Everyone seemed to be feeling okay. I was feeling okay. Maybe, just maybe, we had dodged a bullet. We all dozed off.

We were awakened by the unmistakable sound of a child being sick in the middle of the night. I'm sorry to say, I again hoped it was some other kid in some other tent down the way. And unfortunately it was not. "Which one is it? Which one is it?" Mike and I were climbing out of our sleeping bags trying to assess damage. This time it was Austin. "Please tell me he didn't get sick in our shoes?" I asked.

"Nope. Sleeping bag, two coats and PJs." Mike was already gathering everything to head to the bathhouse (Mike is a GREAT dad and husband), and I held a shaking, feverish little boy in my arms. This wasn't a case of too many s'mores. This was the dreaded stomach bug.

Mike and I decided to nickname our tent the "Death Tent," because... well, to be honest, it had lost that woodsy smell two nights earlier and things were not getting any better. We stayed up with Austin most of the night, and the next day he and I stayed in the brand new bathhouse while Josh and Mikie took our campsite down.

There really isn't a moral to this story. It was a weekend of just trying to survive... trying to have a good time in a really bad situation... being a family looking for the blessings in a series of very unfortunate events and living to tell the tale. If it had been our first camping experience, no doubt about it, it would have been our last. But we had several great camping trips under our belt, and we considered this one a little bump in road. I guess if we sat down and tried to think of the good things that weekend we could come up with one or two.

Good Thing #1 - No one ever got sick in our shoes. That was a biggie for me.

Good Thing #2 - No one else in our family got the stomach bug, which was pretty much a miracle considering our close quarters.

Good Thing #3 - We discovered at an early age that Josh can't hold his s'mores (and this fact has helped during other camping trips).

Good Thing #4 - I'm sorry. I think I'm going to have to stop at #3. I can't seem to think of Good Thing #4. (It's taken me ten years to think of Good Things #1 through #3.)

If you're wondering about the title of this story (The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia), we found Georgia is incredibly dark in the middle of the night in a campground when you're wandering around trying to clean sleeping bags and such. And part two of the title (The Night Mom Tried to Black Out in Georgia) refers to my inability to pass out until all the bad stuff stops happening. I'm just one of those people who is going to be painfully aware (and fully awake) of any situation I'm in -- good or bad. Not a very good trait as far as I'm concerned.

Tune in tomorrow for Camping Story #3 -Where, Oh Where, Are All the Campers?

Part 1 - How to Camp With Your Family and Survive

What do I need to get started and how long should our first camping trip last?

Okay. This is strictly for people who have not started camping yet. And I am not the final source of information regarding camping start-up. Before your first try, talk to many people. Pick and choose what you think would be best for your family and go for it. "Perfect" is not a word you are striving for in a camping trip... especially your "first" camping trip. You want to "survive" and have several good memories. You don't need huge expectations.

I've decided to break this week up as follows:

Day One - What do I need to get started and how long should our first camping trip last?

Day Two - Where do we need to camp for the first time?

Day Three - When is the best time to tent-camp?

Day Four - Tent vs. Pop-Up Camper (an age-old question)?

Day Five - Which drugs work best when trying to sleep in a tent for more than one night? (Just kidding -- sort of -- Tylenol PM!) Really though -- What do I look for in a good state park?

DISCLAIMER - IF YOU ARE A CAMPER, I MAY NOT HAVE PUT EVERYTHING YOU WOULD CONSIDER NECESSARY FOR A FIRST CAMPING TRIP. IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD, FEEL FREE TO ADD IT TO THE COMMENT SECTION -- WITHOUT BEING CRITICAL. I DON'T DO WELL WITH CRITICISM.

To get started tent-camping, first things first, you need a tent. If you have four people in your family (regardless of the size of the kids) go for a six to eight-man tent. We learned the hard way, tents that "sleep four people" do not give you much room to play games at night, store duffels, or move around. We camp with five people now, and we have a tent that sleeps ten to 12. Not only do we have room for our duffels and air mattresses, we also have room to walk through the middle of the tent and change clothes in the tent if we choose not to walk to the bathhouse.

If you are not sure you are going to continue camping, try to borrow a tent. There's no need in making a $100+ purchase in this economy (or any other economy for that fact) if you have a family member or friend who will let you borrow. Assure them you will replace the tent if anything gets ripped, damaged, etc.

You need sleeping bags for each person. Again, if possible, borrow instead of buy to see if it is something you are going to be doing on a regular basis. If you decide to buy, these are available at Wal-Mart and are not very expensive. Also, the kids can use them time and time again for sleep-overs during their growing-up years, so it is an investment that will not be wasted if you don't camp again.

Soft duffels opposed to nice suitcases are the way to go for packing. They stack easily in the corner of the tent or under cots if you use those rather than air mattresses. (We have tried both. We slept on cots for years, but as the kids got bigger, the air mattresses became much more comfortable.) Again, you can use cots and/or air mattresses for sleepovers, so consider them an investment unless you can borrow for the first camping trip.

Take pillows and blankets that can easily be washed in your washing machine at home. Even if they don't get "dirty," everything smells like a campfire when you leave the campsite area.

Always check the weather, but layers are always good when you go camping (undershirt, T-shirt, long sleeve T-shirt, lightweight jacket). A very cool morning in the woods can turn into a hot afternoon. (Most state parks have washing machines and dryers, so you can wash clothes if you run out or if you have a "fall in the mud" incident, etc.) If possible, take two pair of shoes for each kid. Chances are you are going to need both pair.

Take your own firewood. Whether you cut it yourself in a nearby wooded area or whether you buy it somewhere nearby, you will want a fire at least twice a day -- at night and in the morning. (We put our wood standing upright in one or two large cardboard boxes. It's easier to carry and it keeps the wood all in one place -- not rolling around in the back of the truck.) Also, take two bags of self-starting charcoal. If you haven't started a fire before, you can put a small pile under the kindling to help get the fire started quickly.

You will need two or three large boxes/containers -- one for food and one for plates, cups, silverware, tablecloth, matches, and anything else you can think of you might need for meal times. Having been campers for over twelve years now, we have invested in plastic containers for permanent items (pots, stove, cookware, etc.), but we still use cardboard boxes (copier paper boxes are a good size and they have lids) for food, paper goods, etc. The first time around, you will probably just need one large cooler for drinks and food items (hot dogs, cheese, jelly, mayo, etc.). To make it easier for your first camping trip, make breakfast simple. You can make biscuits at home, wrap them in foil and warm them over the grill. You can also have a cold breakfast of cereal and milk with fruit. You can boil water on the grill and have oatmeal, coffee and hot chocolate. Again, keeping it simple for the first camping trip, you can have sandwiches, fruit and yogurt for lunch, and cook hot dogs and/or hamburgers over the fire or on the grill for supper. (Before you invest in a Coleman Stove -- which is a must if you're going to be camping for years to come -- keep the food "easy" the first trip.)

Other things that are a must are as follows:

Flashlights - You'll need them and the kids love them.

Battery Operated Lanterns - You'll need at least two, especially after the kids have lost the flashlights or left them on so long the batteries are dead.

Extra Batteries - See above.

Ceramic Heater - So important. You turn it on about ten minutes before you go to bed, and your tent is nice and toasty. The ceramic heaters are electric, cool to the touch, and they make them so if they are kicked over they will shut off automatically.

Flip Flops - If you have never taken a shower in a public bathhouse, please take my word on how important this item is. NEVER leave home without them!

Separate Toiletry Duffel - Pack a duffel with just toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, Q-tips, lotions, bath clothes, hair dryer, etc. When you do go to the bathhouse for a shower or to get ready for the night, you do not have to make two, three or four trips back to the tent to get things you forgot. You'll only need to bring a towel and your change of clothes. Send the same duffel with your husband, sons, daughters when they head to the bathhouse, too. You'll have to go in shifts, but again, it's always nice to have everything you need in one place and not have to worry about forgetting anything.

Extension Cords - You'll need these for the heater... at least for your first trip. Don't forget your extension cords!

In deciding how long your first camping trip should be, I would suggest a one-nighter at a nearby state park. It will probably seem like a lot of work for one night, but it will definitely give you an idea of whether this is something you and your family are going to be able to enjoy. Our first camping trip was one night at a state park only 35 minutes away from home, with a borrowed tent and all of the things I mentioned above. Very, very simple.

When we got home, we decided to buy a tent (bigger than the one we borrowed), try air mattresses and picked a different state park located an hour and 15 minutes away for a two-night camping trip. We tweaked our food, clothes, bedding, etc., etc. We asked ourselves what we needed to make it better, and what had we taken we didn't need.

NOTE: You do not have to have a truck to go camping. We've gone several times in our van. However, if you have access to a pick-up truck or a pull trailer, it's a good thing because it is easier to pack (having more space to spread out) and you can add things like bikes, fishing equipment, scooters, etc.

ANOTHER NOTE: You will be asked upon arrival at a state park if you want primitive or electricity and water. ALWAYS say electricity and water. Believe me... if you're in a tent, you're as primitive as you want to be. (That, and they put the primitive sites a lot farther away from the bathhouse.)

I'll be back tomorrow for Day #2 of Camp Week... and some more handy-dandy tips to enhance your camping experience.

Have a wonderful Monday, and I'll talk to you soon.