Backyard Camping

Ever since the camping trip to Monticello Zack has been obsessed with camping and fire, so this week He and his friend Kobi decided to turn our backyard into their private campsite. They started out by making their fire pit. Then they fashioned their tent which is the uncovered sleeping bags between the two sticks. They laid down cardboard, put the sleeping bags on top, and folded up and taped foam sheets for their pillows.

They really thought they were going to be able light a fire in the back yard and roast marshmallows! Our back lawn is completely dead. I could just see our whole lawn going up in flames if we let them set a fire. So we let them roast over the grill. Zack decided to make a fake fire. He stood a flashlight up in the middle of the fire pit and they covered it with colored construction paper so that when they turned on the flashlight it would look like a fire. I totally thought they would last until it was dark and then come in because they were scarred.

They made a list of all the things they wanted to do before they went to bed: star gazing, shadow puppets, ghost stories etc. Kobi fell asleep and Zack got hot so he came in at 11:30, then Derek got Kobi and brought him in. Turns out it was good they came in cause the sprinklers came on in the morning :) I remember camping in my backyard and I think I made it once through the night in my backyard; I always got scarred. I'm so glad they had a great time though. I also used the campout as an opportunity to remind Zack of all the fun things I let him do before he tells me he hates me the next time. He gave me a hug and agreed with me, and that he would try to remember. (I had to get some of the parent guilt in there :)