They went; they stayed; they camped

For several years running, DH has attended the Friday evening portion of the annual Father-Sons campout. Initially this was because the available son was too young, then it was because he was needed at work early the next morning. Last year, DH thought that it would be the year. Z and CW were old enough that he thought they could have fun. But then CW's best friend (also a C of the same name) has a dad who thought that he would be the life of the campout party by bringing a cooler full of soda. CW threw up twice before bedtime, thus exhausting the available clothing options and making DH wary of the trouble that might happen if he attempted to last the night. So, once again he came home without actually camping at the campout.

This year was different. DH committed to staying overnight; CW's buddy is now in a different ward, so the cooler of sugar would probably not be in existence. The boys were over the moon with excitement. CE was over the moon with excitement at the thought of no boys for one night. It was win win all around. I packed the tent; the air mattress and car pump. I packed clothes, a first aid kit, sunscreen and Off. I packed sweats in lieu of pajamas, because that's how I camp. DH packed dutch ovens and fixins for the cobbler-off. He got away from work early and he and the 3 boys left for Camp Shrangrila (no that's not it's real name). This is where it gets entertaining.

For reasons not entirely clear to me, CW did not get the smores he deemed his fair and lawful due. CW is our family score keeper. This is not a good combination. It did not help matters that Z somehow "encouraged" other people's fathers to make many many smores for him by being exceedingly polite and thankful. So, Z got many smores, CW was shafted and did not take this inequitable smores distribution well at all. Then, after the fire had been banked for the night, dashing CW's hopes of more smores for the evening, DH tried to gather the boys for bed. The first comment was from CW--no pajamas? Mom didn't pack us pajamas? (he says in apparent anguish, audible at least two tents over) No amount of rational explanations made by DH about sleeping in sweats helped the situation. The fact that the smores debacle had already pushed CW to the brink probably didn't help matters either. Nevertheless, DH tried to forge ahead, attempting to calm the boys for sleep in their 3 person (adult person) tent.

It was not your average cool weather at night campout. All week, temperatures in our corner of the desert had been approaching triple digits and so the thermometer dipped all the way to 87 that night for the campout. So, DH was cocooned in a smallish tent (1 adult and 3 smallish boys should be okay in a 3 adult tent, but only if none of them is screaming and the temperature is below 80 degrees) with three tired sweaty boys who did NOT have pajamas and one of whom had consumed less than his due in smores. Hopefully their neighbors at the campout slept better than DH did! But they stayed the night.

The next morning, DH rectified the smores inequity and broke camp while the boys ate their weight in pancakes. They had fun, despite very little sleep. I could tell by the overly brown tint to their skin upon their return. They are already looking forward to next year. DH is thinking we need a bigger tent and to have the campout elsewhere or earlier in the year to find some cooler temperatures. And the first thing CW said to me (and said again every 30 minutes for the remainder of the day it seemed like) upon return? "mom, why didn't you pack pajamas?!" (imagine anguished outrage bleeding through his voice) So. what have I, the mother of these dirty sweaty smores counting boys learned? Make them pack their own bags for the campout (they'll still blame me for whatever they forget, but at least it won't be my name they bandy about in the balmy night disturbing their neighbors)

And us girls at home? We had a/c and ate Pizza Hut pasta. CE had a playdate. M went to bed and I watched a movie. Not a bad gig. And here comes summer!