After work Friday, Pumpkin and I met up with Heath and Bean and a handful of coworkers for an end of the Membership drive drink. We had our drink then the little ones and I went home to get them dinner cooking. Heath headed to an event at Peanut’s school and then out for a drink with her old coworkers.
I spent most of the night getting food and gear ready for camping. Once Heath got back we ate a late dinner then watched a Hemlock Grove and went to bed. Heath did a Chris Cakes pancake feed early Saturday morning and the girls and I did a bit more packing and then worked on a bunch of random projects and stuff around the house. We were all ready when Heath got home and jumped in the van and headed to Clinton Lake.
We were meeting up with Peanut’s cub scout pack and they had gotten there early and had just left to work on a service project. While camp was deserted we unloaded the van and got set up.
Shortly after we were ready the other kids and parents came back and started to play. The boys used a saw and pocket knives to work on various projects and Peanut’s brother was there for Pumpkin to play with. We did a little hike down to the lake and then the sun came out and started to set.
So we got busy cooking. I knew each family was on their own for dinner so I had picked out an empty fire pit and set up around it. However I found we were the only ones with dry firewood and everyone else was just going to grill a few burgers or stick some hot dogs over the fire on sticks.
We had planned for a fairly elaborate dinner but decided to make one big cooking area w. everyone else.
We tossed 2 big thick chicken breasts on the grill that had been marinating in Italian Dressing since the night before. Then we pealed and sliced 3 big sweet potatoes and layed them out to grill. I had sliced carrots and brockoli in a bag w/ garlic, soy sauce and olive oil and we put them on too.
After flipping the chicken I added cilantro, green onions and Parmesan cheese. I also grilled some chicken nuggets and tater tots for the little ones.
Our meal took about twice as long to cook but it was well worth it.
After dinner the big kids went out into a field for capture the flag the Pumpkin and Cole played in the campsite. We noticed some unusual activity around the little ones and found Pumpkin and dropped her pants and made a big number 2 in one of the camp rings. Heath got her cleaned up and we quarantined that ring. While the big kids were out the little ones cooked their marshmallows.
Of course they needed more smores when the boys got back. Once it got dark we built the fire up big and the boys did jokes and songs and skits around the fire until bed. Our girls were exhausted and fell right asleep. Heath and I read a while then went to sleep. Bean woke up at 4 and had a tough time getting back to sleep but Pumpkin was out hard until about 7:30. I had been up reading for a bit so when she got up we climbed out of the tent and walked to the bathroom.
The scouts provided breakfast burritos and OJ.
The rest of the morning we just took down camp. Scouts started leaving for soccer games and other commitments and then the leftovers went down to the lake to toss some rocks in.
Once they left We put both the girls in the packs and set out for a hike.
We hiked the same trail I had backpacked last fall.
We hiked about an hour at a fast pace w/ not many stops. Pumpkin talked the whole time and Bean napped.
Pretty much right when we got to the car Pumpkin fell asleep and Bean woke up. On the way home we stopped to clean up a messy diaper and grabbed some DQ. Pumpkin slept the whole way and then another hour or so in the car when we got home. While she was sleeping we unloaded and cleaned out the van, changed the oil in the van and truck and worked on some issues I was having w/ my battery. Also we stuck a beer can inside a chicken and stuck it on the new grill. The best thing we accomplished was finally getting rid of a big old couch that had been outside and on Craigslist several times.
Pumpkin got up and she helped me get a coat of primer down on the dresser we are refinishing.
She really had fun and talked about how much Bean would like her new dresser. Once done we were pretty messy. Pumpkin from using real paint and camping and me from the same but also rolling around under the cars and sweating excessively.
We both hopped in the shower and scrubbed off paint and pulled off ticks. Once we were done, Heath passed Bean in and we cleaned her up. Then I checked on our bird and it was doing great.
I made a ride medley stuff and some vegetables and it was so nice we set the table outside and pointed everyone away from the sun.
Dinner was really good but I think next time I’ll have the heat a little lower. After dinner we saw a Craigslist ad pop up for a sandbox full of sand so we rushed off to Brookside. Someone beat us to it but we did get a chair and headboard Heath wants to restore sometime.
Then we got the girls in bed. Heath had been working on some sort of laundry/organize clothes/ clean out the closet project most of the day and she got right back after it. I did the dishes and put another coat of primer down on the dresser then laid on the couch and read until my side of the bed was clear enough for me to lay down and go to sleep.