Camping

We went camping June 20-21. It was Jaden's first time camping, and he didn't do so well. He didn't like being confined to such a small space, not to mention he was totally out of his element. We ended up leaving on Saturday, instead of Sunday (June 22), because I didn't want to piss more people off with Jaden's tantrums. We ended up making the decision to go home, and then the weather turned on us. By the time we got up to the campsite to pack up the rest of our stuff (we spent most of the time with our friends on their family house boat) our tent was starting to capsize. It rained off and on while packing our stuff, so we felt we made a good decision to go home on Saturday.

When we got to the State Park we found a campsite that was close to the restrooms (for my middle of the night runs to the bathroom). We got there around 1:45pm on Friday. Our friends, who were coming up to camp with us (but on their house boat) said they were going to try to be there absolutely no later than 5pm. I started calling Nikole's cell phone around 4pm, and it would go straight to voice mail. That made me think they were on their way, as our phones didn't want to work most of the way to the park, either. A while later, after we were all set up, a family pulled into the campsite next to us. I overheard a lady say something about camping at the marina. I told Chris we should drive over and check it out, because that made SO much more sense to camp at the marina, where our friends' house boat was moored, than to camp across the river on the other side. We didn't know there were campsites at the moorage or we would've just set up camp over there in the first place. Well, when we crossed the river we saw campsites. We were lucky and found the only campsite that was the one right next to the bathrooms (again, for my middle of the night runs to the bathroom). We took some of the stuff out of our car, that we hadn't taken out at the first campsite, to save our spot. We quickly went back across the river and tore down our tent, chairs, and air mattresses, put them in the car, and booked it back over to our new campsite and set it all back up. It was a much better idea to camp at the moorage. We just had a hill to walk down (or we could drive if we really felt lazy) to get to the moorage, and to get to the boat. After we got done setting our stuff back up Nikole and Nathan (her husband) drove up to where we were. Apparently they had been there since about 3:30pm. Like I said, I'd been calling her since 4pm, but I guess her phone (AT&T) doesn't get service up there.

Once on the dock we made Jaden wear his life jacket. He didn't like it one bit. He felt too confined. Even with the life jacket on we wouldn't let him go very far. He REALLY didn't like that. That's really when all the whining and tantrums started. As long as we were on the dock, and in the boat, he wasn't a happy camper. When it was time for bed it took him 2 1/2 hours to fall asleep. It wasn't his bed, so he was trying to figure out the whole tent. Chris had to lay with Jaden on Jaden's air mattress and lay Jaden down every time Jaden tried to get up. He finally fell asleep at 10:30pm. The loud party people next to us didn't help getting to sleep, either. The air mattress was much more comfortable for me to sleep on than our bed, but I still got absolutely no sleep; everything was too loud.

Here is Jaden driving the boat when we first got there.

Jaden and his best buddy, Exzavier, playing with the controls (don't worry, the boat doesn't run).

Exzavier on the CB, and Jaden steering.

Jaden decided that after not falling asleep until 10:30pm on Friday that he was going to wake up at 7:20am on Saturday. We were all about ready to go out to play on the beach, but a couple kids needed naps. Exzander (7-months-old) had already fallen asleep, so we had to wait for him to wake up, anyway. I knew Jaden was dead tired, but so much stuff was going on that he just didn't want to fall asleep. I laid with him on the bench bed, holding him, so he would fall asleep. He finally passed out around 11:10am. Sadly he woke up only one hour later (he needed a much longer nap than just one hour).

Jaden loved boats last year, but didn't seem to this year. This was Jaden and Exzander in the no wake zone. Jaden just didn't like not going fast.

Still in the no wake zone.

This was once we go to the "beach" (I thought it was going to be a bit bigger, lol). Jaden just wanted to chill in the boat with no life jacket (we were right there watching him).

This was after a walk down the beach and back to the boat. Again, Jaden wanted IN the boat.

We figured out why Jaden wanted in the boat. He wanted to drive!

Jaden was trying to be sneaky and play with the depth sounder after getting told no numerous times.

Jaden hated wearing his life jacket, as I've said before, because it was too confining. So again, we took it off (but we were right there). He is playing with the depth sounder yet again.

All three kids had had enough of the beach (Exzavier, the one in the red life jacket, had been there with his uncle for a good 3 hours before we even got there), so we were getting ready to go back to the house boat. This is where Chris and I decided we were going to leave to go home later.

I don't remember what was wrong with Exzander here.

I think Exzander just had enough of the heat.

About to head back to the boat. Both Jaden and Exzander about passed out on the way back to the house boat. They had had enough, and I don't think the wind in their faces helped much, either.

Every time Jaden was down inside the boat he kept trying to get into this crate. It had cookies in it, and he wanted them. This is him trying to be sneaky.

On our way home we knew Jaden would pass out within about 10 mintues of being in the car. This was true. I looked back at him, and he had fallen asleep eating a chip. Of course I had to take a picture.

A few minutes later he was REALLY asleep. He's not even holding the chip anymore, and his water is trickling out of the spout onto his arm - chip still in mouth.