Third Annual Family Camping Trip

Last week, we had our annual trip to the tent cabins in Big Basin. Both kids were really looking forward to the trip, and we had a great time. Hard to believe this was our third year doing this trip! Thankfully, each year it has gotten easier. This time, it was quite relaxing at times! It is always good for my spirit to be among those majestic trees.

Wouldn't be camping without a campfire, in my book. And what's a campfire without roasted marshmallows?

This year, we let the kids help pick out the special camping food to bring. Guess who has discovered the joy of Doritos (with accompanying orange fingers and face)....
It turned out that our campsite was very popular with at least one of the local residents. This stripey guy visited us several times, prompting a "You Silly Racoon" song from the kids. (They were still singing it today, in fact.)
So much of the success or failure of family trips depends on how well everybody manages to sleep! Happily, the kids have gotten worlds better about sleeping away from home. Now if S and I could just figure out how to be a bit more comfortable...
As is now the tradition, we spent our second day of the trip at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. The kids definitely have their favorite rides -- good 'ol Bulgy the Whale is still BB's #1 choice!

BJ will ride it too, obviously, but he now prefers more excitement, like the Tornado ride which he loves to do with S.
The little boats are still popular with both the kids...
but they are both definitely moving beyond the wee rides. BB finally figured out how to make the dragons fly --

And once she'd figured that out, she decided they were a new favorite. The planes were popular, too.

BJ decided to brave the ferris wheel. And Loved It. Here he is with S (in the red car, of course).

He loved it so much he really wanted to do it again. With me. I hemmed. He insisted. Sometimes being a mom means doing your best not to pass on your fears to your kids. Which means deciding that something you thought would be scary can be fun. Or at least deciding to grin and bear it. Fake it till you make it, right? Here we are at the top -- thanks to the stretched-arm-mom-cam!
I was still anxious, but the view was gorgeous:

And guess who isn't afraid of the carousel anymore?

She even wanted to ride twice, the second time on the outside, and the ride operator even gave her a few brass rings to try to fling into the clown's mouth! She Loved It.

For the first time, instead of just buying a bunch of ride tickets, we got the kids unlimited ride wristbands, which turned out to be a financially sound decision. In years past, they've only been good for about two hours of fun, but this time we stayed for more than four hours! Even made it to the far end of the boardwalk, where we'd never gone with the kids before, and they discovered the Speedway, a new favorite.
It's such a joy to see them having such fun together!

On our third and final day of camping, we went on a little family hike down to the stream by the campground. I found this pic to be very symbolic of how I'm feeling these days:

The two of them, going on ahead, BJ in the lead, thinking they are ready for anything.... but not getting too far ahead, mind you.

When we got to the bridge over the stream, S took a pic of us wandering down the path alongside. This is symbolic, too, I suppose. A kid's hand in each hand, and all of us smiling. Life is pretty good.
Kids With Sticks was, as always, a nearly constant camping activity.
This year, BB decided she would make a ladybug house in the dirt. Complete with necklaces for decoration.

I think she brought the necklaces from home expressly for this purpose. That's my gal.

Family tradition: a pic on the steps of the tent cabin!



And in 2009:

And in 2008:


Good times!