Ode to Labour Day camping.

My kids are hilarious. Hilarious. I don't know whether to laugh or beat my head against the nearest picnic table but there you go. They do lighten up the soundtrack quite a bit. This weekend we took them camping to Waskesiu for a couple of nights. It was hot all last week - really hot - and it was supposed to be hot on the weekend but it wasn't. Now we're back to school/work and it's hot again. Go figure. Anyway, we took them camping in our minimalist style, all 5 of us crammed into the Camry that was much bigger a few years ago when Seth wasn't taller than me. They sat on blankets and pillows and we all carried stuff in our laps and we brought exactly enough food to last for most of the w/e and no more. Certainly no camping chairs. We had a great time. Levi could not keep away from the fire and explored all its properties despite frequent reminders to not walk around the forest with a burning torch. He honestly had a hard time remembering that one. Heidi had some true Heidi moments. She tends to be at least a beat and a half behind the conversation and says "What?" a lot even though her hearing is fine. At one point she tuned in while we were alternately talking about stopping to look at some tamaracks and stopping to get some Kleenex from the trunk for Seth who was quite runny-nosed. She panicked and yelled out "What?! We have to blow our noses on TAMARACKS?!!"

We had to give Levi a serious spitting lesson too. Because of the bears of course you can't go around spitting toothpaste into the forest. So we instructed the kids to spit in the fire. Levi did so enthusiastically that he sprayed toothpaste all over the bannock baking in plain sight on the grate of the fire. We didn't really enjoy the clean minty bannock taste.

Seth spent as much time as possible splitting wood with our extremely heavy duty welded metal splitting axe that probably weighs 25 lbs. He felt terribly sorry for the site next to us full of college age "men" who had only a pitiful little hatchet, and at one point went over and offered the use of our real axe. They declined. Probably couldn't have lifted it as it was heavier than a beer bottle. Just kidding. Anyway, Seth has grown up a lot in the last year and this summer has started to feel compassion for us as we parent. It's very sweet but disconcerting when he tries to lighten the load for us by whispering suggestions or restraining comments to the other two who have definitely not yet discovered that corner of empathy. At one point we were eating lunch together and I had this flash of realization that all too soon Seth will be gone. Working or with his own friends or worse yet with a girlfriend, but not part of our tight little circle forever and ever.

All the kids really enjoyed themselves even though it was cloudy and rainy the whole time. We did two hikes. The second one was my idea and against a chorus of protests. See, last year we had a great beach day once. Towards the end of the day, as the wind was picking up I told everyone of my good memories of swimming in Kingsmere Lake on a little deserted beach a short way up the hike to Grey Owl's Cabin. I thought the hike was a few minutes so they trustingly started out after me, all in swimsuits, carrying our towels, wearing sandals and most ominously with absolutely no bug spray on or along. Half an hour later after I had twenty times reassured everyone that it had to be around the next bend, we arrived. We were incredibly hot, sweaty, scratched from the brambles and completely covered in mosquito bites. When we got there the water was lovely (it's a very very shallow part of the lake with great waves to play in) but the horseflies were even more vicious than the mosquitos, if that were possible. Poor Heidi had to use the bathroom (no. 2 of course) and there are absolutely no facilities there as it is basically just a part of a trail. So then we swam, very quickly and mostly to get away from the horseflies. On the way back we were wet and that much more appetizing to the only wildlife that counted. Poor Dan who tastes good to all things insect was just blanketed. We ran the half hour hike back with Dan carrying Heidi most of the way so she wouldn't get left behind for the bears. It was nothing but memorable.

So this time, we were prepared. We wore full apparel over our swimsuits and carried our undies along to change into. We went to the bathroom before. We sprayed ourselves liberally with bugspray, and we wore good shoes. Most importantly, we expected a half hour hike and were not therefore disappointed. When we got to the lake it was great although disappointingly cold and even more rainy than when we left but still great fun. By the time we got back we were tired but nicely hungry for the aforementioned bannock (and stew) supper around a fire. Levi started out saying he had a "really, really bad feeling about this, Mom", but after about 15 minutes said, "I have a really bad feeling about this. So that's better than a really really bad feeling . . ." Thanks, son.

Okay, I have to go back to parenting. My middle child is chattering at me with a tinfoil helmet on and I suppose at some point I should really pay attention. You never know with him.

Happy September!