Great Outdoors

I know, it's terrible around here; loads of stuff to write about, batches of cute pictures to share, no motivation to actually compose it.

Last weekend, Orrin and Silas went on another boys only camping trip. Silas has now been camping twice as much as I have in Ireland. I'm afraid he's going to think his mom is some kind of nature hating stick in the mud. No camping, no biking, no running for a couple months now.

This time Orrin told me where they were going to go and it was only for one night. Actually it was only for about 16 hours or so.

The intent was more to allow me to have some time to myself since Silas has been in mommy-mode for the past few weeks. Mom has to get the milk, Mom has to brush the teeth, Mom has to read the "whole bunch a' books." It's this last one that is really killing me, as he is hooked on these Mr. Men books from the library. We can only check out four at a time, so we read those four books, over and over and over again for two days until I can't stand it any more and we go back to library and pick out four new ones. I think the main reason he likes them is because they are smallish and easy for him to hold and he can carry all four of them around and get Four! Books! read to him.

Anyway, so Saturday late afternoon we had an early dinner and then I dropped Silas, Orrin, and their backpack off at the top of the "mountain", near Holy Cross. Orrin hiked with Silas on his back most of the two miles to the place where Ben fell off his bike a couple weeks ago and broke two ribs. Orrin reports that Silas did hike about half a mile of the journey, but because it was beginning to get dark, and the high distractability factor of the piles of sheep poop all round, it was better for all involved for Silas to be in the pack. Although, I'd say with the tent and sleeping bags and toddler and everything; it was a good 60 pounds to be hauling around.

Anyway, at the campsite where two streams met, Silas helped Orrin gather stones to make a little fire ring and then they ventured into the forest to gather some sticks for a small fire. After dark they read a book by the light of the fire, told stories, looked at the stars, and munched on popcorn (popped on the stove at home and packed up the mountain in a plastic bag).

Then they snuggled in the tent and slept side by side, each in their own little mummy bag on top of their own little therma-rest.

In the morning, they had a small breakfast of fruit and cereal. Silas realized he was really roughing it when he had to drink his milk out of a water bottle instead of a sippy cup. They loaded up all their gear and hiked the five miles or so back down the hill and to our front door.

I spent the evening knitting a little devil hat for Silas's Halloween costume, and spent the morning sleeping in.