Case's first camping trip...well sort of.

Some random Saturday this past winter, Matt and I took the boys to the mall just to get out of the house. 

We were over in Dick's Sporting Goods when we found ourselves browsing through the camping gear. 

Daddy started telling Case all about camping. 

Tents, sleeping bags, s'mores. 

Didn't take long for Case to be hooked on the idea. 

So we heard about it...relentlessly for weeks on end. 

"Mommy, when are we goin' campins?"

"Daddy! I wanna go campins! Let's go campins!"

I started to roll my eyes at Matthew every time he started up about it because, well...it was WINTER and we had a LONG way to go before there would be any camping.

So we started to explain to Case, when it's warm outside we'll go, 

when the trees have leaves on them we'll go. 

Well, if you recall we had a very early spring this year. 

Flowers came up early, warm air came early...

and you guessed it, the leaves on the trees sprouted, well, early. 

"Mommy! The trees are green! The trees have leabes!"

Well shoot, the kid had a point. 

So then it became, 

"Case, we'll go when it's summer time and the pools open okay buddy?"

"But it IS summer time, it IS!"

"Not quite sweetie."

The months kept on coming and going, and soon enough it came.

Time to fulfill a three year old dream. 

Daddy was taking Case camping. 

Matt called me from work one day and said, "I think I'm going to take Case to the gorge this weekend."

So he made me a list, and I found all the camping gear in the garage that Friday. 

Matt stopped by the grocery on the way home, picking up odds and ends that they would need for the trip. 

(Making sure to remember the makings of s'mores, the most important part)

Didn't take long until they were all packed up and ready to go! 

(It was so cute too, on Nick Jr that week the theme on each little cartoon was...Camping! It really had the Case man excited!)

Case's best little buddies were even up for the trip...

 Mommy and Rhett saying "Bye" to the big boys! 

(Rhetter was too little this year to get in on the camping adventure)

 Tickling him to try and get a picture of him - he was too busy setting up his movie for the ride. Stinker! ;)

After arriving and setting up, I told Matty he better send me some pictures :)

I talked to Matt a couple of times after they had set up. 

Case was riding his bike and scooter around, then later in the evening when I talked to them, Case was telling Daddy he was ready for bed. 

(By the way: Daddy forgot to make s'mores and around 11pm, Case woke up in a panic about it, so they climbed out of the tent and make s'mores...did I mention it was 11pm?)

Fast forward to around midnight. 

I get a text from Matt that reads:

Okay so this ain't happening.

We are packing up and heading home. 

To which I responded with:

What??? At midnight? Why what's wrong?

Matt:

He just doesn't want to be here and wants to go home. 

Won't let up and won't stop.

Bless their hearts. 

What I didn't mention was that the gorge is about and hour away. 

Part of me thought that Matt should have made Case tough it out, I thought maybe if he was able to distract him enough he would calm down enough to go on to sleep. 

After a phone call with Matt though, and Case just about hysterical in the background. 

I then knew, as Matt already did, that it just wasn't happening. 

Around 2 am, after dozing in and out of sleep, I came downstairs to wait on them. 

Watching out our front window, I finally see Matt's truck lights coming down the road. 

I quietly open the screen door and scoop Case out of his car seat. 

He was fast asleep. 

He cried when we got him out, the half asleep cry where they are so tired they don't know which end is up.

I carried him upstairs, made sure he had his special flash light from the trip and he drifted on back to sleep.  

So, the moral of the story?

A three year olds first camping trip...should probably be in the back yard. 

:)

BlBBles