Crabs, Coffee & Shrieks in the Night

Camping. America's favorite past time.

A time to rest, reflect, and find reprieve from the normal routine of life. A time to relax as the wind wrestles through the trees. Watching the rays of sun filter through the evergreens overhead.…

...unless you have two children under two!

Yes that is right, we braved our first camping trip as a family of four! I wish I could say that this overnight venture  provided us with the rest, reflection, and reprieve that we were looking for… However when nighttime came things all fell apart.

We arrived promptly at 2:30 PM to the campground for check-in. The grandparents were coming with their fifth-wheel and provided much the comforts that we could not provide ourselves. They thoughtfully brought a second pack and play (which we ended up using!!). They supplied much of the food for our quick overnight camping trip. And our friends supported this crazy venture by letting us borrow a large six person tent... (which thankfully fit two grown adults and two pack and plays). We were set up for success!

When we arrived, our two-year-old was beyond herself. She literally jumped out of her car seat soon as it was unbuckled and began running around the campsite shouting, "run, run, run!" Tripping over tree roots did not even stop her from enjoying being outside! She quickly got up, brushed off her hands, and continue to run. She was even more excited when she saw our new house (our tent) being put up by her daddy. She quickly claimed it as her own. Our seven month old son was placed in a large plastic tub with a pillow behind him just in case he fell backwards. He was fascinated by the trees overhead and the work his daddy was doing.

Before we knew it, our new home for the day and night was set up. The grandparents came shortly after setting up their "home" too. Our daughter was so excited when she saw them pull in, "Papa! Papa's house! PAPA!!"

What could possibly go wrong with so much excitement…

As soon as camp was set up a few short hours later, the boys went out to throw their crab pots in hopes that we would have crab for dinner. This was the beginning of a challenging night.

The boys took longer than expected, arriving back to the campsite well after sunset. We were waiting on them for dinner which would either be crab or hamburgers. Our darling two-year-old was wearing down quickly. Thankful for the microwave in the fifth wheel, we threw in a hotdog and filled her plate with vegetables and fruit. She did not seem too interested in eating...as with the routine the last day and a half. Unsure if she was tired, uninterested in the food we provided or if she was just being a picky toddler, we didn't think much of it. 

After her few bird bites of food, we began her bedtime routine, putting her in the pack and play that the grandparents brought. She settled in nicely without complaint. I was thankful and looking forward to a relaxing evening. As per our typical schedule, our son was put down about an hour and a half after our daughter. With the boys back out on the water to check the crab pots, I was enjoying conversation and two sleeping kids!

… That was until the ice cream man came cruising through our campsite at 8:30 PM! Seriously! Who in their right mind would drive an ice cream truck through a campsite that late at night! It wasn't even that hot outside.  

This was the turning point for our evening. The loud blaring music from the ice cream truck woke my daughter causing a fit of crying.… since she was sharing sleeping space with our son, this caused him to wake up too. 

So, it was 8:30 at night and both kids were back up. With all of the excitement, our two-year-old ended up socializing until about 11 PM. Our son dozed in and out of sleep but was fussy from not only being woken up but also by his top left tooth that was coming in. It was time to bring out the Tylenol! 

By midnight, all four of us were nestled in our tent and asleep. I was awoken 2 1/2 hours later to my two-year-olds shrieks. She had such bad stomach pain and we felt helpless to do anything. As before, her cries woke up our sleeping seven-month-old son (I guess it was OK since I had to nurse him anyway... I justified...but I was really hoping to get just a little more sleep!).

My daughter did not easily calm down. We decided to give her Tylenol, rub her tummy, and cuddle with her as she would let us. Intermittently she would let out big shrieks. Again, feeling helpless, I suggested that my husband take her into the car to see if the change in environment would help. Also I wanted to spare all of the campers surrounding us her shrieks and screams in the early morning hours. So, at 3 AM, my husband carried her to the car, secured her into the car seat, and curled up in the reclined passenger seat with his sleeping bag. And there they stayed the rest of the night. 

My son woke up again at 5:30 and then again at seven. Needless to say I had a very restless night and my husband had very uncomfortable sleeping quarters. I especially felt bad for him since he had to work that same day.

The morning greeted us with a slow wake up, I was thankful for the Keurig machine in the fifth wheel which provided me with a delicious cup of coffee; I was also thankful for the toasty camp fire in the center of our site which provided warmth on a cool summer morning. 

Soon, both of the kids were out of their respective sleeping stations and the grandparents were preparing breakfast. 

Our sweet little family of four had to leave the site at 11 AM so that my husband could arrive on time to his shift at 1 PM. Tired and exhausted, we packed up our things, said our goodbyes, strapped our sleepy children in the backseat, and drove away.

As we were on the way home, we reflected on our short 18-hour camping trip. It certainly could have been a lot worse, but it certainly was not the success that we were hoping for. Although we did not find the rest and relaxation we were looking for, we enjoyed seeing our two children exploring a new environment on our first camping trip as a family of four... 

We might just be crazy, but our second camping trip is coming up in just a few short weeks. We are hoping things go a little differently than this time around but...

Every experience is an opportunity to learn!

Good night.

.