Reid Family Lessons in Camping (With Small Children)

Last weekend (the first weekend of August) found our family of 5 camping at Branched Oak Lake near Lincoln with 4 other families from church. It was a first for Elly and Gabe and Mom but a second for Kevin and Isaiah, who did an overnight this spring.

Friday am found us packing up the tent, bikes, coolers, swimming stuff and way too much clothing and sleeping gear in the truck. Yes, it took us all morning and half the afternoon. But we did make it to the campground by check in time at 4. We were the first ones by a long shot. Could have not stressed about the time...lesson #1, camping is not a scheduled activity time.

We got our tent up--something that should have taken 10-15 minutes but took 3 times that long since Gabe was wandering off and Isaiah and Elly were too distracted by bugs and flower picking to help much with set up or Gabe watching. Lesson #2...take a leash for your 2 year old when camping.

Our first night's meal was simple...I had made the sloppy joes ahead so they only needed heating on the camp stove. I let Kev do the "cooking" or burning whichever the case may be. I realized I'd forgotten most of our fruit/veggies in the fridge at home but it was hot and we weren't too hungry anyway. Lesson #3, even with a list, you still will forget things. Do without or mooch.

Sleeping went OK the first night after we'd gathered for the traditional s'mores. Lesson #4--Always pack glow sticks.I had some glowsticks from Target that saved us as far as keeping track of kids. We could tell where everyone was because they glowed neon! And, bonus feature, they work as nightlights (which are something my kids can't live without)!

The next day was a SCORCHER...we were at the beach all morning and most of the afternoon. Good for keeping cool, bad for sun exposure. Lesson #5--Spray on sunscreen is for the birds. Everyone who used it burned. (Thankfully, we didn't learn this one the hard way because we had "tea tree sunblock lotion". I highly recommend it.)All the kids got on the tube with Daddy. And Mommy and Gabe and El got a really "bumpy and fast" ride back to the dock with lots of "bubbles" (water spray). Gabe was thrilled to have a "boat ride"--words that I heard from morning to night while we were there. In fact, he woke the whole tent with those very words--at 6:30 am.

The evening was hot but we kept our spray bottles handy and made frequent trips to the shower and water spigot to soak ourselves. Finally, when we collectively could take it no longer, we wimped out and drove to the nearby town for ice cream in a semi-air conditioned parlor. (Then our family took a trip through the small town on Malcolm and all the way around the lake in an effort to get cooled off and keep the kids busy till bedtime without being soaked.) The kids were beat so they went down OK but it was SO HOT in the tent that I put them all crosswise on the air mattress with me in the middle and sprayed water mist into the air every 2 minutes or so until they were sleeping and then some. It's a testimony to their exhaustion that they didn't even peep when I sprayed them, even in the middle of the night. Lesson #6...If you have an electical outlet at your campsite (we did) bring an electical FAN!!

Sunday was basically everyone up early to pack up and a unanimous vote to move the family camping weekend to (Lesson #7) early JUNE next year. We loved camping...we're just wimps about hot weather. We're thankful for safety and lots of fun and give the Lord the credit for it.

Mommy Guilt, Casts and Crutches

Our adventure this week starts on Wednesday night after supper. Kev and I sent the kids to the trampoline to play after supper was cleaned up so we could chat a moment. We were watching, really we were! Isaiah comes to the door distressed that Elly had hurt her knee and sure enough she was crying and holding it. We got her off and put ice one it. Couldn't see anything wrong...but she was pointing to her leg right below her knee. So began the 'Mommy Weight Lifting Regiment' as she couldn't/wouldn't put any weight on it. She slept the night with some Motrin and ice.

The next am we debated, kept ice on it to make her feel better and decided that if it was a twist of some sort, working it was best...so we went to the pool where she cried and whined the whole time even though she was floating. I was exasperated with her for not trying to work it since she didn't say it was hurting, only that she was afraid it would hurt to put it down.

The next am--still more crying and a little bruising showing up so I had her crawl around. She desperately wanted to go to Grandma's with her brother's for the weekend but Gram has a bad leg herself and can't lift her and Grandpa had wrist surgery recently so no help there either. I was sure when we dropped the boys off her desire to see the puppies would give her enough umph to walk...but alas more crying and no walking.

So, we went to the doctor. He pulled, twisted it...she didn't peep. (She was a bit scared of him since he wasn't our regular lady doctor.) He said any swelling was bad for a bone and ordered three X-Rays. We were back in the exam room when he came in to say, "You have to see this!". I was worried we were really in trouble...never having really considered a broken bone. But alas, she has a buckle fracture near the top of her tibia on her right leg. Could see it plain as day (once the doctor explained it). So we got a bright white cast and went to the drug store/med. supply for kid sized crutches...

So far the crutches are a no go but the stroller is good. We had a neighborhood picnic last night so the white cast now is rainbow colored with names and pictures. She's been playing a lot of pet shops on the porch with whoever is feeling sorry enough for her to come and play.

So we have three weeks in a cast and then a promise that it should be healed "beautifully". We'll pray to that end. And pray that lessons in character traits such as perseverance and patience that will be coming for both Elly and Mama won't be too taxing.