We took our annual camping trip with the Johnsons over Memorial Day weekend. The forecast looked awfully gloomy, leaving this mama with nightmares of spending 4 days and 3 nights cooped up in a camper with Daddy and 3 babes, but thank the cloudy skies that the rain held off and we were able to bundle up and spend the entire weekend outside. Harlow and I stuck close to the fire but the boys, they weren't effected by the brisk 55 degree weather. They played with their cousins from morning til night, barely stopping to eat. They LOVE camping!! And are already begging to go again. Now Harlow was a different story. I do think she liked camping, but to say she was a mama's baby isn't even close to describing her. She made dang sure she was a permanent fixture on my arm the entire weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone attempted to hold her, she'd scream. If I was out of her sight, she'd scream. If anyone even gave her a look as though they might try picking her up, she'd scream. And not just scream, bawl her ever-loving head off!! All of which would immediately stop the moment I held her again. She has always preferred me, but this was out of character even for her. Now that we're home again, she's back to normal. Still loving up on her mommy, but allowing some independence as well. I'm going to chalk it up to the new experience and teething. I mean, what high maintenaince girl wants to pack up and go live in the woods for 4 days?? Apparently, not this one!
So here's our trip, in (terrible quality) iPhone pictures.......
Our first morning, bundled up in hats by the fire.
Hudson playing with cousins Kendra, Morgan, and Bryce. Morgan tried so hard with Harlow. Even suffered through a walk to the park with her crying the entire time, in hopes a ride on the swings would calm her. It failed, but I give Morgan credit for trying! I'm sure once out of the wilderness, Harlow will go back to loving Morgan like she always has.
One thing that wasn't effected by her insistant attachment to me......her sleep. She napped great during the day and slept through the night like a champ. And in her own little makeshift bed (next to Mommy of course). She looked like such a big girl. Her first time using a pillow, which I hadn't planned, but I propped the pillow up so she wouldn't roll into the luggage, and she immediately grabbed it to lay on.
Daddy spent much of the time mushroom hunting. He found his dad's old vest in the camper and wore it most of the weekend . I could hardly look at him without laughing. He found a matching yellow hat but thankfully I talked him out of that. Him and Declyn found enough mushrooms for a meal for everyone and leftovers to take home. Not that we needed them, my husband is obsessed with going and has now brought Hudson over the dark side as well. We eat, sleep, and breathe mushrooms in our house.
In a spurt of playfulness, Harlow enjoyed the pink truck I bought her on a whim right before we left. She'd climb on and fall off, climb on again and fall off again.
This is her "Mom, I'm about to scream if you even think about leaving me" face and clenching fist. I saw this face often.
My phone wouldn't focus because it was so dark, but I awoke in the middle of the night to find these two brother snuggled up. I'm doubting Paxton knew his hands were on his brother's face, and I'm certain Hudson didn't know, but boy did I melt when I caught it. Poor Dad got the boot to the couch and slept alone, while I had the two boys and Harlow next to me. There is nothing I love to do more than sleep with my kids. And these boys, they are the SWEETEST when going to bed and waking up. Paxton slept next to me, which Hudson agreed to as long as I held his hand. Paxton would wake up in the middle of the night and tell me he just wanted to get closer to me, then whisper to me in the mornings "I love you Mommy, it's wake up time now". These are precious moments.
This boy...he's full of attitude, the snotty kind that I thought came with the teenage years, and he has something to say about everything, but man alive I love him. I love that he knows things, I almost even love that he's smart enough to know how to talk back. Sometimes his sass makes perfect sense.
In another moment of playing with Mommy nearby. She loves pails. She never really does anything with them, other than walk around, but she loves them. And that cheesy smile, I mean come on, wouldn't you love to be glued to her everyday!?
She walked with that pail and shovel like it was her job.
Hudsy had a great time fitting in with the big boys, Bryce and Declyn. And doing things big boys do, like dabble in the fire pit a little. I let him put that stick in the fire for a little while, but then the "super safe, always think the worst is going to happy, crazy" type of mom in me came out and put an end to that. But he's a boy, and that's what boys do, right?
Even in the woods, phone games were played. Hudson and Kendra lounged around and took an electronic break.
I brought games and crafts to do with the expectation that we'd be stuck in the camper. But the kids decided to take the games outside anyway and made super hero cups.
In typical Harlow form, she climbed onto, into, and under everything she could. The table was one of her favorite spots. She'd go underneath, climb onto the seat, and then had full access to any and all food on the table! I thought she'd learn her lesson after she grabbed a jalapeno and bit into it before I could take it, but it didn't even phase her. She just smacked her lips like, "What, you think jalapenos are hot?" And since I was worried she'd be in pain, I bit into it too to know what she was feeling, and yes, I think jalapenos are hot!! At this point, I'm not sure anything would phase this girl.
While everyone else walked to the store, Harlow and I stayed back to play at the park. With the cloudy skies, I was always worried we'd get caught in the rain, so I opted to stick close to the camper with Harlow. I can carry that girl all day long, but running in the rain while carrying her didn't sound appealing.
Cheesy smiles together. It's sad that not everyone gets to see the sweet, funny personality this girl has. She let's it all out sometimes, but saves a lot of it just for me.
On the last night, Harlow and Pax tuckered out early so Dad, Mom, and Hudson enjoyed the fire a little later. I told Hudson he could let me know when he was ready to go in, and he fought as long as he could before deciding to head in for our last night of camper snuggles.
On one of his walks with Granda Sharon, they went to Runnings to see the baby ducks and chicks. Hudson wanted a chick soooooooo bad!! He begged and begged to get one, even took money he had been saving in the car certain it would be enough. And he used those manipulation techniques he's gotten really good at by saying to me, "I don't really think you like me very much if you don't want me to have a chick." Yea, he's good. I caved and went to Runnings to see the chicks, knowing if worst came to worst, we could buy him a chick to live at Grandma Sharon's house. But when the dump trucks and bulldozers caught his eye, the poor baby chicks were quickly forgotten. So $30 later, we left our camping weekend with two more trucks that we didn't need, but two very happy boys.
