Memorial Day Camping...With Kids

We camped this Memorial Day weekend with our friends Ben and Meredith, Nate and Amanda, and Keith and Kelly, and between us all, seven dogs which were really quite fun to watch. We also camped with Alison - 3, Camas - 3, Timber - 1, and Emma - 6 weeks. Only in Montana would a family take their 6 week old baby camping, but Emma was a real trooper and probably had the most fun of all being loved and held all weekend. I am amazed at how DIRTY they get! We camped in the town of Wise River, Montana near the Bighole River and Battlefield. The weather was fantastic Saturday when we enjoyed the sun, took a short hike, threw the kids in the snowbanks (yes, there is still snow), and took naps. Sunday we got rained on, but thanks to Nate and Amanda, who brought their wall tent, we had a dry, heated place to play games. We cooked a bunch of food, and it's totally true that camp food tastes the best though it takes 3 times as long to cook. We enjoyed tinfoil dinners, pork roast, fried chicken, onion rings, camp beans, breakfast burritos, and all the other good junk food that goes with it.

I admit that I missed drinking beer this camping trip and I realized it is going to be a long, long summer of camping sans the beer. It might be the best part of camping and it certainly helps you sleep! I tried to bring fun drinks for myself, but they just didn't cut it the way a Miller Lite would have. Oh well. It's for a good cause...It's for a good cause...It's for a good cause. In the past it's always been Meredith or Amanda or someone else who couldn't drink. Now it's my turn. I hope I don't sound like a lush typing this, but you must understand, it's a camping essential.

Other pitfalls of camping while pregnant:

1. Peeing in the woods many times a night is not fun.

2. Sleeping in a tent is already uncomfortable. It does not improve with pregnancy.

3. Make sure the air mattress doesn't leak, Robbie.

We also learned some things about camping with children.

1. Bring a large vehicle.

2. Bring them lots and lots of clothes to change into.

3. We had the great idea to buy their camp clothes at garage sales and then throw them away as they destroy them, or better, just throw the clothes in the fire when they're done.

4. Two three year olds need to sleep in separate tents.

5. Wear earplugs.