It's Gobbles Time!: Roughin' It

Last weekend, we got together with some of our oldest friends and decided to go camping. We've done this quite a few times before with this crew (like here and here), our buddies from college, but it was always on a property with an accessible bathroom and kitchen. This time, we headed up to French Creek State Park where we had four adjacent family campsites reserved.

We arrived second and found that our site was a little ways downhill from the others, but since we had the most convenient family for camping then we were ok. We decided that our gathering spot would be between the campsites where each family had a 1.5 year old, since the older kids could stay up by the fire and the newborns could sleep in arms at the fire. I unloaded the car while hubs set up the tent, and within 15 minutes we had our first injury. Gobbles had been running around exploring when he tripped on a rock and sliced open his knee- blood everywhere. The band-aids we packed weren't quite up to the challenge of this cut, but the first aid kit I keep in the car had giant bandages that seemed to do the trick. After some howling and dramatics (which returned when we got home Sunday afternoon and I tried to clean it with peroxide), Gobbles was good to go, proudly showing everyone his battle scar.

Our other friends arrived shortly and we went exploring. The bathrooms weren't too far of a walk from the site, although after it got dark both of my kids (fine and me too) took advantage of the privacy of the woods to pee. The Lobster only gave me one scare as I was holding her in the air Mommy I have to poop! but then decided she didn't have to and managed to do that kind of business in the proper facilities all weekend. Closet to our campsite was a little playground. We armed ourselves with solo cups full of adult beverages made our way over there, and within minutes Gobbles let out another howl. I didn't see this one, but apparently he reached for the zipline/monkey bar thing, missed, and did a nosedive landing headfirst on the ground 4 feet below. Thankfully he seemed in tact after a few minutes (head hits always scare me with the whole retina thing) and he shook it off to keep playing.

The kids were soon hungry so we had pizza that someone had picked up on the way into the park and the boys completed setting up the camp and starting the fire. After dinner, the kids pulled out their bikes and rode back and forth along the little road, calling out every time they saw a car approach. If Gobbles had it his way he would have ridden his bike the entire weekend. Fatigue set in quickly and in order to extend their night we began shoving the kids full of roasted marshmallows, s'mores, and fire-made popcorn. One by one they retreated to their tents nearby and the parents came back to hang out around the fire. I felt like the night was just getting started when the Lobster announced she was tired and insisted on going to bed too. I went with her because our tent was just too far away for her to be alone. Gobbles soon joined us, and the two of them soon took over the full size mattress we were all sharing. We could only fit one full and one twin in the tent, so I gave hubs the twin and roughed it with the kids (note to self, time for a new tent). By the time I woke up in the morning I was horizontal across the bottom of the mattress with little feet in my face.

We woke up to a breakfast of sausage and eggs (apparently our tent is the late sleeper crew too) and the kids took off on their bikes again for awhile. For the rest of the morning, we split up with half going to the pool and half the lake. Gobbles and the Lobster were so excited to go on their first boat ride, so we rented a rowboat and hit the water. The kids marveled at everything, from the frog that had been hiding under the boat to the lily pads and gorgeous flowers. They tried feeding crackers to the fish but the clang of our paddles against the boat must have frightened them all away. I rowed the majority of the time because like shoveling snow, rowing a boat is something I just don't mind, I kind of enjoy the exercise. It made me really miss my carefree college days of being out on the water with the concrete canoe team. Towards the end of the hour Gobbles even decided that he wanted to help me row, using all of his strength to propel us forward through the water.

After boating, we had lunch back at the campsite and soon Gobbles was back on his bike while the Lobster did some painting with the other kids. The adults relaxed and debated going for a hike with the little remaining energy. Finally, after the nappers were awake a group of us set off to find the trail shown on the map. We found the marked trees and started off, determined to get to the edge of another lake and a dam. The downhill trek wasn't really treacherous, but we reminded the kids to keep their eyes on the ground so they could traverse the rocks and branches. They went as fast as their little legs could carry them and we finally arrived at the dam. The kids oohed and ahhed and Gobbles insisted on some selfies before we started back up the trail. Before we even took a step all of the kids declared their exhaustion, so it was up onto our shoulders they went. I was in pain for about 5 seconds with the 30 lb Lobster when I realized that hubs was carrying 50 lbs of Gobbles, so I stopped feeling sorry and soldiered on, yelling at my daughter to stop grabbing branches as we went by and flinging them back on her dad and brother. I might have yelled a few times too for her to stop pulling my hair, but then she settled down. We made it up the hill in half the time it took to go down, and were soon back at camp drinking celebratory beers and cooking dinner. Gobbles alternated between biking and playing trucks with the little guys, and the Lobster played a few rounds of wiffle ball.

As dusk set in we settled around the fire again. This time the kids knew what to expect and dove right into the marshmallows after the glow sticks were distributed. We hung out, chatted, and laughed about old times, but with the diverse range of ages of the kids it wasn't until very late that all 8 adults were able to relax around the fire at the same time. At this point the Lobster was dead to the world in my arms, Gobbles in hubs. We enjoyed some more time with our friends and when the point came where we couldn't even get up to refill our beers without disturbing the kids, we called it a night. Of course when we got the kids into the tent they woke up, the Lobster screaming to wake the entire park with her half awake, half dreaming, fully tired wail. Gobbles did amazing tolerating her settling, and soon we were all asleep. I woke up a few times that night to the Lobster kicking me, and realizing her head must have been on Gobbles side, I snapped a few flash pictures, miraculously waking no one.

The next morning I was up with the rest of the group while my family slept. Finally after what seemed like hours I found the Lobster awake and ready for her blueberry pancakes. Everyone was amazed that hubs and Gobbles could continue to sleep, and they did until we gave a breakfast last call. The kids were back on their bikes while we cleaned up camp, scouted out new, closer sites for next year, packed the cars, and lamented the shortness of the weekend. Though we only see these families a few times a year, we always enjoy when we do and seem to fall right back into fun with them.