Phoebe and Mae go camping

We had our first camping trip and now I can say, without a doubt, that if you ever find yourself stranded in the woods, or on a deserted island, Jon is someone you will want to have on your team. The man is very handy and can put up a giant tarp perfectly as a storm approaches, in seconds. Seconds. We brought along a camp stove (or I should say, I brought this), and Jon refused to use it, cooking everything on the open fire. He made campfire coffee actually taste good. Although we were far from stranded, as our car was parked a short walk away, I was glad to have him as my camping partner.

I can also say that Mae is perhaps the world's greatest camper. She is enthusiastic, happy, helpful, and never complains. Through rain, uncomfortable pillow-less sleeps, mosquito bites the size of Oreo cookies, she still sang the praises of the great outdoors. Phoebe not so much.

Phoebe said about an hour into our trip, after the tent had been set up, beds had been made and dinner was on the fire. "Are we going home?" Then at bedtime she really wanted to go home. She wanted her bed and her books and her nighttime episode of Max and Ruby. I think if Phoebe were ever to be stranded in the woods, Max and Ruby would be who she would like to join her. Phoebe asked to go home quite often but eventually warmed up to the idea of camping, and when she wasn't asking about home she was trying to have fun. In hindsight, perhaps camping while on steroids is not much fun, or perhaps so much new is hard to take in all at once.

This weekend everything was new for Phoebe. She slept in a tent for the first time. Sat in front of her first campfire. Had a first taste of campfire cooking which she loved. She roasted her first marshmallow. Experienced bath time in the outdoors, or lack thereof. She had to quickly get used to walking over rocks and tree roots after losing her footing a few times. She eventually took it all in stride. She created a stage with Mae on an exposed rock and put on shows, complete with dancing and an enthusiastic audience. They played hide and seek, relaxed in a hammock, we took long walks and in between the clouds and rain, we found some time at the beach.

Phoebe and Mae tasted s'mores for the first time. Phoebe picked out the chocolate and threw away the rest.

All mood swings, steroids and requests to go home aside, we had a great weekend. We expected Phoebe to love camping as much as her sister but she doesn't and that is okay. Maybe she will love it when she has a chance to go without her steroids on board, or maybe she will always prefer home. We made the most of the camping trip that we were able to take right now and I am grateful that we were able to camp at all.

On to the next adventure!