We took the Bug on his first ever camping trip this weekend.  2 days and 2 nights in French Creek park.  It was awesome, and served to remind me, that contrary to what many people think about me and I often think about myself, I love to be outside. 

Some of the highlights:

• Almost a decade of military experience and several years of girl scouts between us, and neither of us could remember how to start a fire.  It took 45 minutes to get it going the first night. Luckily we're quick studies as it only took five minutes the second night.

• Turns out that while I can't start a fire, I can canoe pretty well. Girls Scout camp paid off for something I guess:)

• We are wusses. A certain someone, who is not me, forgot to pack the pump for the air matress. No big deal we said, we have sleeping bags, a comforter and several pads, we'll be fine. Fast forward to day two, which finds us at a local gas station, while the bug was taking his nap in the car, and Tim and I took turns filling up the air mattress at the air pump (yup, the one you use to fill up the tires). My back thanked me the next day, and the bug  loved the new *tent bed*, but still, I feel a little wussy.

• The Bug's sense of humor never fails to surprise me.  In trying to coax him out of the tent (he loved being in the tent and watching the daddy long legs that had taken up residence outside the *window*) I convinced him that we had to check on  the hot  dogs Tim was  making for dinner. When we reached the fire, the hot dogs we not on the grill yet.  The bugs keen observation of this was "Mommy, Daddy's not doing so good on the hot dogs"

• The bug is reluctent (of the yelling NO variety) to try just about anything.  But once he gets going he loves new experiences.  Much like a younger sister I once new.  If this battle continues for many years to come, it may actually shorten my life.

• Case in point, we took him on a canoe ride.  Which he flat out refused to go on at first.  When we went up to the window the nice gentleman asked what he could get for us.  Which our ever-confident son replied "I need a life jacket". They graciously gave him a very cool surfer-style life vest (instead of the ugly orange traditional style ones) which he really liked, and then I told him if he got on the boat, we could sing row, row, row your boat while we rowed, and this intrigued him, so off we went. He had a blast.

• For a two year old, finding sticks for marshmallows is fun.  Eating marshmallows is fun.  Sitting by the fire and making s'mores is boring.

• After a small battle (and a bribe of yogos) we finally made it on a hike (the one thing I was really looking forward to).  The best way to entertain and involve a two-year on a hike appears to be to put him on horse poop look out. 

• My camera batteries couldn't have picked a worse time to crap out and stop holding a charge. I get so little tim to shoot, and we had gorgeous weather all weekend.

• Camping with my husband and I alone is a vacation.  Camping with a two year old is exhausting and requires a lot more stuff.