thistledown


powered by SignMyGuestbook.com

Get your ow
n diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

2002-08-21 - 10:16 p.m.

The planning has begun for EXTREME ULTIMATE CAMPOUT CHALLENGE 2002. And I, in my infinite big sisterness, have appointed myself the Campout E-Mail Coordinator (now referred to as the CEMC). Things are already starting to look good. For example we all agreed on a date on our very first try.

About four years ago my family decided it would be fun to go on a fall (because we hate heat and bugs) camping trip together. We threw one together and had such a great time that we decided to make it an annual event.The first year it was just us "kids" but after hearing what fun we had, Mom has been there for all the rest of them. She is so NOT an outdoorsy person, but she can't stand to miss out on an occasion for having all her "chickens" together. And she is always a trooper. We have about 12 people, ranging in age from eleven to seventy, and all of our various dogs: a Yellow Lab, a Shepherd mix, a Sheltie, and a Maltese (yes, that would be the Pipsqueek).

This is not exactly a wilderness adventure crew, so by "camping trip" we mean setting up some tents and spending a night outside. We have adopted a nice quiet private campground, only about an hour away, as the Official Family Campout spot. High on the list of criteria for campgrounds is the consistent availability of non-scary bathrooms, and a minimum of Big Dumb People.

The Campout tradition has continued to build. We celebrate two birthdays. We have a big volleyball and croquet matches, and fly our kites. We get up early and somehow manage to cobble together a big steaming sausage-and-eggs breakfast cooked on Coleman stoves. After my son Cary made his famous awesome chili for Saturday night's dinner, we have talked him into making it for every campout since. My brother Mike designed a state-of-the-art marshmallow roasting fork with a golf club handle, and that sparked the marshmallow toasting competition. We have our ongoing jokes that survive from year to year, like the one about going to find the "secret bathroom." And our collection of campout stories....

There was the the year my sister Jenna and her two sons borrowed a huge tent from some friends and the guys BROKE IT trying to set it up.

There was the year of the cold snap, when the temperature dropped down to 25 degrees when we were all spending the night (notice I didn't say "sleeping") in tents.

That was the night Mike asked Mom if she has "frostbite." And she said "Yes."

Alarmed, he said "Where?"

And she said "Right here!" and handed him the FLASHLIGHT. That was pretty funny when you are lying awake freezing to death.

We all have better camping gear now: folding chairs, air mattresses, functional sleeping bags. But there is always the element of surprise when you mix twelve somewhat unstructured people, four dogs, five tents, a big fire, and the great outdoors. For all the work it is, I love the idea of having these traditions that the younger kids in the family just completely take for granted. The glue that bonds families is created in so many different ways.

My nephew (the twenty-one year old) replied to my e-mail with EXTREME ULTIMATE CAMPOUT CHALLENGE 2002 in the subject line. So now we have a date.... and a name. Stay tuned.

previous - next

< ? Random Acts of Journaling # >

alchera ? !

about me - read my profile! read other Diar
yLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get
 your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!