Camping Recap

Well, I not only survived, but had a really nice time. This year the 7 kids were a little older and that made a difference. We had over an acre to ourselves with no one in earshot and that made a difference. We only spent one night up there and that made a difference. I'm sure next year will be even better. I have to say I came home with a renewed appreciation for my mellow kids :0)



My family has a cabin in the little town of Index, WA on the Skykomish River just off of HWY 2. It is very rustic and small. 4 humans is about its max, but it sits on about an acre so there is lots of room outside. It was a million degrees on Saturday (I guess technically it was more like high 90's) so we actually went swimming in the river. It is the first time ever I have been swimming in the Skykomish. It is snow run off and usually very cold, but I didn't care it was hot. I haven't been that hot and miserable since I was in China in the middle of summer. (Okay, quick side note: Ralph Lauren should be shot for designing Olympic outfits which consisted of long pants and blazers!! It is a million degrees with 95% humidity over there in the summer! I saw those outfits and felt their pain) Anyhoo, the river felt great and the kids spent the day splashing around. We never did make it into town, which was too bad since Index was holding their annual arts festival. Oh well, maybe next year.



It was really great to see all the kids just hang out and play. The arguing was really kept to a minimum. The moms stayed out of it as much as possible. It was pretty much kid law unless there was an injury. Considering the age range was from 3 to 11 they did pretty well. They had a talent show and did skits. They roasted marshmallows and threw lots of rocks in the river. Good old fashion kid fun.
We set up a big tent for the kids to sleep in and I was surprised that even the younger kids slept outside. Unfortunately, a nice storm rolled through around 5 am and it sent the 6 kids running inside soaking wet. They all just huddled up on the couch and fell back asleep for a few hours.



We headed home around 3:30 and arrived home around 8:00. I learned that when I'm on an adventure there comes a time when I am done. When I reach that point, I want to be home. I don't want to stop and walk around. I don't want to stop and get something to eat. I want to power through the drive and be home. I felt a little bit bad because when we finally got home, Maura was telling her kids to unload the car. By the time she rounded them up, I had unpacked everything and was halfway up the driveway. Yes, I was done. All in all it was a fun trip. I'm sure we will go again. It won't be long before the kids are too cool to camp with their moms, so we have to savor the time while we can.