First Camping Trip

After a long week (I realize it's only Thursday) of cleaning up after disasters (i.e. basement flood that threatened sleeping bags, boxes, and food storage; and piles of puked-upon laundry due to a poor little girl throwing up every ten minutes or so from 10:30 pm to 3 am last night...and I am referring to Addie, not a poverty-stricken female child from off the street) I am ready to write about happier times, such as (or strictly) last weekend.


It was Tyler's birthday last Saturday so his awesome wife, Clare, planned a surprise camping trip for him. The way I just wrote that it sounds like she suddenly planned it, but I assure you she had it planned at least as far back as February. Anyway, it was a total blast and I think Tyler was very much surprised and pleased. It was Addie's first camping trip, to boot.

She was quite impressed with the tent and kept going under it. That's right, under it. She couldn't quite find the door to go in it, but under it is just as cool (I guess.).

Birthday boy and Jason spent about an hour (if not more) trying to "bust" a fire. verb; Bust a Fire: to start a fire using only sticks and a bit of rope...and a large amount of patience and dedication. It's a good thing we had time (and snacks).

I guess Addie could sense the frustration in trying to start a fire this way because she began rubbing daddy's back.

This is Kason and Jason. I know, they make a good team. I tried my hand at busting a fire, but no one took my picture. In fact, no one took my picture on this entire camping trip but I swear I was there. I may go back later with a pen and draw myself into a few photos. Or just imagine me standing in the back eating some fruit snacks, 'cuz that's pretty much what I did. I love camping! Oh, and to end the suspense Tyler got a little flame going and we celebrated by roasting hotdogs over it.

Addie loved being able to run up to a picnic table, eat some food, and then run out into the wilderness and look at rocks on the ground. We came home from this trip with a lot of rocks...I know because I did the laundry. Six rocks in the dryer will make you think someone's in the basement setting off bombs.

The celebratory hotdogs.


Sleeping in a sleeping bag AND a tent= two firsts. And she loved it. She slept in much longer than everyone else. I kept going in to check on her but she was just exhausted. I went to check on her halfway through breakfast and unzipped the tent to find her wide awake, sitting up and staring at me. I have no idea how long she had been awake, but I think she was trying to figure out where she was and where everyone else had gone to. It is quite a predicament for a toddler.

And then we went on a hike to some nearby hot springs. Addie conked out again...possibly from the overwhelming amount of rocks everywhere and not enough pockets to put them all in. ( left to right: Jason, Addie, Spencer, and Kason's foot.) Clare and Tyler were strategically a little ways behind us. We told almost every person we passed on the way that it was Tyler's birthday and to please wish him a happy birthday on their way past. The best was the large scout troop that was resting on the side of the trail. They clapped and cheered and shouted, "Happy birthday Tyler!" as he went by, which I imagine was confusing but enjoyable for Tyler.

We woke Addie up so she could have a dip in the smelly sulfur spring. Surprisingly, she wasn't all that excited to be woken up for that. Who wouldn't want to stand in stinky, murky water on a breezy day on the top of a mountain? Silly kid. Jason is waving, by the way, not raising the roof. The hot springs felt really good, especially after a long hike. And we didn't see any nudies, which is a plus.

And this is the preferred mode of transportation down a mountainside. If only Jason's back was big enough to carry us all down this way. (Actually, he would look pretty lurpy, not to mention the hard time we would have finding clothes to fit his weird shape, and all for what? The one-time benefit of not having to get physical exercise on a lovely trail? I take my lame wish back.)

What's New, Brown Cow

Addie has a rock collection. You might think that a collection of this kind wouldn't need any maintenance but you, my friend, are unaware of the daily sorting and size comparing that it takes to keep a box of rocks in order. Fortunately Addie knows about these things and is dedicated to the proper care of her collection.

Addie and I played dress-ups yesterday. Addie is just starting to get into pretending and its a ball of fun. I realize the hat is over her face, but she is still smiling so there is no need to be alarmed. She's so darn wiggly...mostly because she tries to climb on me during photos.

I was doing my hair the other morning (or most likely trying to not do it but spending just as much time as I would have if I had just done it) when I peeked into Addie's room to see what she was up to. This is what I saw: She lined up all nine of her animals (and one doll) and then put a blanket over the top of them all so they could have a nap. I put the blanket on Addie per her command and then she rolled over and pretended to sleep.

We are selling the motorcycle. If you happen to be interested in purchasing a wild machine of speed and freedom then please contact us by the appropriate numbers. Addie is not, however, for sell. She is simply the model for this bike that makes it seem child-friendly to possible buyers. It is not child-friendly. I have the scar to prove it. We'll miss our dear bike, but we hardly ever ride it anymore due to the lack of an infant seat.

We had a baby last week. Okay, we just babysat one. This is my cousin's little girl, Gretchen. It was fun to watch Addie play with her. She would put her binky back in when it fell out, and she would lay with her on the floor and be so gentle. She even decided she wanted to hold her at one point so we put her on the couch and helped her hold the baby. Pretty cute. Then the last twenty minutes of our babysitting time Addie grew tired of her and decided to run dangerously close by the baby repeatedly and then tackle me while I'm holding Gretchen. The lesson learned here is: yes, we could have another child in this family, but only for two hours.

Cami, Caitie, Grandma and Grandpa came up for the weekend a few weekends ago. It was, as always, a blast of a weekend! Addie really loves her two aunts and probably thinks they are her own personal servants.

Addie and I were at the store the other day looking at earrings (I got tired of the two pairs I own) and bracelets (that was Addie, mostly). I purchased a razzle-dazzle pair of earrings and then we headed out the door. I didn't get more than a sparrows' width through the door when the theft detector went off. The manager approached me and rechecked my purchase for inventory control tags and then I went through the door again. I buzzed again but the manager told me I could just go. So I did. We went home, had lunch, and then I put Addie down for a nap. I started pulling stuff out of my purse when I discovered a bracelet I had never seen before. And it had a price tag on it. And it was from the store I was just at. Putting two and two together I came to this conclusion: my daughter was a shoplifter. And not just a petty one, either, considering she swiped a $25 bracelet for her first (or known first) theft. I took the above picture before we returned the bracelet to the store. I wanted her to put it on, but as you can see she was too disgusted with her crime to enjoy it. I hope she learned her lesson, as I'm sure she didn't since she's 1 1/2. (Note: I'm sure she didn't intend to steal it but was just seeing where it could fit...or was she? Bum BUm BUM!)

Stickers are a great way to entertain toddlers. This toddler happens to be very opinionated about where stickers should go: on the leg and only on the leg. And all on the same leg, too. It's only an issue if she's wearing pants, in which case one pant leg gets rolled up gangsta-style.

I didn't ask her to pose, the scenery just demanded it.


We also are the proud owners of a vending machine. When I took this photo I said, "J, you look so serious." And he said, "I am serious. I'm a serious business man." So there you have it: Business Man Jason. We had high hopes of retiring early on the profit from it but I don't think $6/month will cover all of our expenses. Especially when you consider the amount of time it will take just to pay itself off. ( Note: it is not really a retirement plan, just a whim-kind-of-plan....which is not really a plan at all.) It's located in the office at Jason's place of employment so not a lot of traffic is going on by the machine. It's fun anyhow. Ask yourself this: what's cooler? Buying a drink at the store and drinking it OR buying a vending machine and a box of drinks and then paying YOURSELF to have a drink?