First Camping Trip, Aug.'10-- pt.3

Joel wanted to make sure we took Ethan down to visit the river before we left for home, so we got ourselves up bright and early and headed down the path. Ethan tried to make a break for it every time we let him out of the stroller, and he was more than ready to explore by the time we got to the water.


After he ran into the water (ack!) we decided to take his shoes and socks off, and let him see just how cold it was.


He loved it! Remember, this is the pre-Polar Bear kid (a Polar Cub?) we're talking about. He just kept going back into the water for as long as he could handle it, then would run up to me and jump up into my arms until his feet stopped tingling. And then-- straight back in for more.


He liked checking out the water with Aunt Stefanie, too; even though she worried a lot about what could go wrong near the water, everyone did fine. And it gave us all a nice break before the long drive back home, too. Can't wait to do it again!

First Camping Trip, Aug.'10-- pt.2

When we first got up to the Dardanelles, near Strawberry, we got our stuff out as quickly as possible and then went for a walk.


I, who had so strenuously objected to the stroller earlier that day, was now fairly glad we had brought it. Our son doesn't like being confined, but then I don't like running after him nonstop while he explores his surroundings. We all needed a break for a few minutes, and the walk was a great way to release some pent-up energy.


Maybe a little too much energy... either way, we had a great time on our walk. We even met a little girl around Ethan's age who played around with him for a bit. It was a lot of fun watching them interact, and made me want even more to get back to work so that he can go to daycare and play with other kids. He needs it, he wants it, and he would be so happy to get that kind of interaction on a daily basis. It's time to let him go a little bit... just to daycare. For now, we're enjoying these moments as a family, and trying to take advantage of every minute we have away from the daily grind. And what a place for doing just that-- how can you not enjoy yourself, with this type of setting? Beautiful!

First Camping Trip, Aug.'10-- pt.1

We decided to take the RV out for a trial run earlier in August, to see what worked and what didn't work in enough time to get things ready for Burning Man. Stefanie came along with us and we brought Ethan for his first ever camping trip; it was so, um, exciting!


Well, let me be honest: It was a lot of work. Camping with a toddler is not my idea of a relaxing vacation. But then we weren't there to relax, really, we were there to diagnose any problem areas and figure out what we liked and didn't like for any future camping trips. Having Ethan there was definitely an additional chore, but it was a lot of fun, too. And it was nice sharing the child-watching duties with two other people, for a change. Because that kid sure liked to run off whenever your back was turned.


Each time I caught up with him, I'd try to sneak some food into his mouth. Ethan hasn't yet gotten used to the idea of sitting still for a meal. He prefers to eat on the move, and tends to have a sort of nibble-while-trotting approach to his food. I just have to keep him busy with a toy (or lantern, in this case) while I finagle the food particles into his mouth.


He's even figured out how to drink his milk while doing a million other things. Just bite down on the straw, and get moving. Sneaky monkey... gotta love his ingenuity!

Art-V

We're starting to think about how to decorate the RV for our Burning Man trip in August...



Something fun, but not something so out there and cool that we might be embarrassed to drive it up to a campsite near Yosemite...



Maybe someday, when we get the motivation and money, we'd be able to make a mutant vehicle out of it instead.



... or maybe not. I think we'll just stick with what we have, and hitch a ride on the art cars while we're there. Laziness for the win!

Frozacks

Or, as some others might call them, "frozen snacks"... quick and easy, just like your-- uh, never mind. Anyway! I found these little delights at my local Grocery Outlet, currently my favorite store, and decided that they might be perfect for camping/Burning Man.



They heat up in a minute, can be eaten at room temp if necessary (not as good as melty-hot, though), and are actually tasty. They're small and light and make for a fast little snack or in-between meal. I actually got them for Ethan to try out, as he can just fit them perfectly in his little mitts, and he really likes them. For the first couple of bites, anyway. He's not a big fan of bread right now, so the dough parts bug him.

I also thought that he might be into these veggie burgers, but we haven't tried them on him so far. Luckily, we love them, so it doesn't matter if he can't stand them-- they'll get eaten!



Lastly, we tried out these stuffed baked potatoes.



I think next time I'll just split one in half for both of us to share, because they're pretty hearty and filling. I'd also probably add some toppings (broccoli & cheese, bacon, maybe some sour cream or chives or something like that) so that it has got some extra flavor and also makes a complete meal. Overall, though, they're all pretty good. Now I just have to find freezer space in the RV!

Motorin'

Thar she blows! Our motorhome, that is. I think that, in the end, she will be a lovely thing. Full of joys and wonders and smelling of sweet happiness, rather than what she smelled like when she arrived: cat urine. Thank god Joel was the one who had to drive it home, sticking his head out the window the whole way in order to avoid being knocked out by the fumes. Anyway, after a bit of cleaning, with much more to come, she's already looking much better. Here's a view of the motorhome after a minor rinse off by some recent rain.



The inside is actually pretty roomy, and with a bit of DIY fixer-upper attitude and some elbow grease will become a nifty pad for camping trips. This is a view of the inside looking back towards the couch-sleeping area at the rear of the vehicle. There are two sleeping areas (one on top of the driving area), a dining table/couch area, a bathroom with shower, a stove, sink, and refrigerator with freezer, and plenty of storage space. We'll be adding a microwave to the kitchen, because seriously, who doesn't use one on a daily basis these days?



And this is the opposite view, looking up past the galley (tee-hee! RV lingo) towards the front of the vehicle.



It's actually really neat. We are picking up a generator for half-off (!) this week, and can finally try out some of the stuff inside the RV that um, you know, runs on a generator. We also still need to dump some liquids (eww), pick up some propane, and basic cleaning and repair work, and then add our little extras to make it ours. Extras like bedding, and curtains, and door & drawer latches so that everything doesn't fall out the minute we turn a corner. Not that anything like that already happened, or anything... heh, heh. Well, you've gotta learn somehow, right? And we're ready to learn!

R to the V

So, we might be in the process of becoming RV owners... woo-hoo! Yes, this is a recession; yes, we're pretty much broke; but we might be on our way to owning an RV anyway. Through a friend, we seem to have gotten a hook-up to an RV that needs some work, but just might come through as a great deal for our family. If it works out, we will now have something to take the baby camping in, something to go the Burning Man in, and-- worst case scenario, of course-- something to live in when all else fails. :) Here's an idea of what it looks like:



... except without the cool colors and the awning. Like I said, it needs some work. But we'll see if we can't make it into something that we can deal with and if not, we'll just sell it to some Burners who need a place to stay. I can deal with that! :)