Camping with a Toddler

Camping in the fall has become a new favorite tradition of mine. We went last year and loved it! So when our ward was planning a ward campout. We decided we'd try it again.  I would have to say I was a bit nervous just thinking about camping with a toddler, but Stephen was pretty confident everything would work out just fine.

Stephen had gone on a campout a few weeks earlier with the scouts in our ward and ever since then, just out of the blue Andrew would ask to go camping, although he has no clue what he was really asking. So when we told him we were going camping and sleeping in a tent, he was pretty excited. Then we told him we were going to bring his walker with us camping and he was even more excited.

He held onto his walker then entire way there. 

This was a first for us to actually get to the campsite and set up a tent before it was dark. Andrew was in heaven and kept himself entertained the whole time just walking around. We had an awesome place with a view over a lake with grass around our campsite....a definite plus with a toddler.

 After dinner we got together for a big bon fire with the ward and of course enjoyed some scrumptious dutch oven dessert. We sat around talking with friends and lost track of time. It was 11:00pm and Andrew was still going strong. So....we finally decided to head to bed. Andrew was a bit scared to go into the dark tent, and it took him a bit to settle down, but then he was great. We put him between us to go to sleep and after a little squirming he crashed. We moved him over onto the mat next to us and he slept like a log the ENTIRE night. I really couldn't believe it. Stephen and I however, didn't seem to sleep much and not exactly sure why.

Andrew checking out the tent and loved looking out the windows

The weather in Texas during October is pretty much perfect. We've had a pretty wet fall, but we lucked out and got nice weather for our camping weekend. Growing up you head to the mountains to go camping....where the temperature usually drops quite low during the night...even in the summertime. For some reason that is ingrained in me. I packed for a cold night. Warm pj's, layers, hoodies....etc. Well, we did not need any of it. We slept on top of our sleeping bags and used our hoodies as pillows. (because that was the one thing we forgot) Maybe that's why I didn't sleep...it was a bit too hot for me for camping. (I think the low that night was 72 degrees) I'm used to getting into a cold sleeping bag, pulling it over my head and not wanting to get out because its too cold in the tent. Aaahhh well...

 Our View

The next morning we took a little walk around the Raptor Center, packed up and headed home. I would say camping with a toddler was a success...but next time we need to stay longer. It's so much work for just one night. We're hoping to get out one more time this fall and we are keeping our fingers crossed that Andrew does just as well.