Camping is always great fun for our family. We only go once a year (so far anyway) as a family, but Matt and the big boys also go on a camping trip in the spring. They have a blast, and are always looking forward to the next. Recently, though, my husband has been preparing to go on a camping trip with his brother and a friend…without the boys.
When Camden saw Matt making some “new inventions” to try while fishing, he got so excited! He knew that kind of fishing meant camping. A few days later, when Matt found out about Camden’s assumption and broke the news to the boys that he would be leaving them at home this time, the reactions were pitiful. Silas got a bit teary eyed, but tried not to let it show, and handled the news with integrity. I was proud of him.
Then there was Camden, who had already built his excitement up thinking he was going camping. Oh, how the tears flowed! It was a silent cry at that. When Camden gets upset, he usually runs off to someone’s bed (this time Bliss’) and lies there for a long while. He just laid silently, tears flowing. When Camden’s heart is broken, the look on his face does a number on us (especially me). Our hearts break too. This is true with all of our children, of course. But Camden has the most pitiful heartbroken look, by far, when he is sad.
Since Matt was going to be gone for a couple days, he wanted to do some things with the kids before he left. The final thing he decided he would do was take us all trout fishing, which requires a little bit of traveling for us to get to. The first spot we reached had too many people, so we tried another. Not one single bite the whole time we were there, but the kids did work hard making a “frog habitat”. I know the frogs are forever grateful.
After a while, we decided to pack up and go to another city and try some fishing spots there. When we reached our favorite spot, the water was too low. So, we moved on to our final option. Matt said there was one area that might be deep enough to fish in. We decided to give it a shot and unloaded our gear.
The shore was made of soggy, muddy sand. Camden decided to pick some up to feel, and then he washed his hands in the water. He loved watching how the sand mixture dispersed into the water. He said it looked like what a sting ray does, whatever that means. He then decided to scoop more up and repeat over and over just to watch it in the water. Then Bliss joined in.
Before we knew it, Camden and Bliss were each using one of Camden’s shoes as a pail.
They would scoop up water and pour it out.
They got wet! The water was cold by the way, but the kids didn’t let it bother them. At least somebody was actually doing what they came to do.
Matt did catch something not too long after we got there. Someone else's lure.
Zeb just had a great time exploring! He played with rocks and sticks and rocks and dirt and rocks and water (and a shoe)!
Sister bear put a little mud on Zeb’s back.
Zeb put a little mud in his mouth.
Once when he was on all fours trying to pick up another find out of the water, he slipped and took a face dive into the water. I picked him up promptly, but he was not happy. The water was cold, so that’s why he is stripped down to his diaper. He recovered quickly, but when Bliss slipped and fell, and got a bit more wet than she had planned, I took her and Zeb to our van and changed them into something dry. Of course, when we made it back down to where the boys were, they had caught a fish while I was gone. Matt took a picture for me, and then they let it go. It was too small to keep.
I heard Matt say to the boys something like, “Now, when did we catch a fish?” Their answers were “When we were quiet.”, and “When we were out of the water.” Ha! Ha!
When Camden slipped and fell, he was ready to go change too. So, he and the littles came with me to the van. Everyone got dry and seated, and then we waited for the devoted fishermen to catch “one last fish.” After a while, up they came. Silas, got all dry, Matt packed up, and we headed home.
So, though the actual fishing was not successful, the fishing trip was very successful. The kids had a great time, and almost everyone fell asleep on the way home after a hard day of play. We got some quality time with Matt before his trip, and, while it didn’t make up for the boys not getting to go camping, I think it lessened the blow a little. A little.
