Camping - Dargan Style

 This is a Yurt. Yes, I know - I had no idea either! My brother and his family spoke of camping in one years ago and it sounded like fun. This past winter I was looking into affordable vacation options and while investigating cabins, I stumbled upon the Yurts. Im quite certain I told Mike nothing about this as I checked "book this site" on the park's website. I was confident it would work out...sort of!

 And so it was that about 5 months later we found ourselves driving through rain to reach the Yurt. The kids were beyond excited. We jumped out of the car, ran to the Yurt and 15 min later we all looked at each other with a collective, "now what?" There was no sign of the rain letting up. Hiking, fishing and going for ice cream were quickly crossed off of the list.

We went to the movies. On our first family camping trip. Im not kidding. 

If my friends who introduced me to back country camping in Montana are reading this...I think they just "tsk, tsked" me. As we emerged from the dark, dry and warm theater we all jumped for joy at the dry skies. We rushed back to the campsite and managed to roast a few hot dogs on the fire before the rain started in again. We were cozy enough in the yurt. We had a rocking dance party, ate non-roasted marshmallows, and brushed our teeth with bottled water. We snuggled into our sleeping bags and listened to the thunderstorms all night.

We awoke on Mother's Day to more pouring rain. We hopped in the car, swung through the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru and we were home in time for breakfast.

The kids can't wait to "camp" again. That's a success in my book.

Baby

* I love the way he looks in overalls
* I love the way he plays alone and I hardly know he is there
* I love the way he hugs me and pats my back when I grab him from his crib
* I love the way he asks his brothers and sisters for help and says Thank You after
* I love the way he says "Its OK" when he wants to run across the street
* I love the way he shouts "Blah Blah" into any conversation, just to try to keep up
* I love the way he rides a scooter like a mad man and shoots slap shots that hurt my shins
* I love that no matter how old he gets, he will always be my baby

Milestones

 The end of the school year is fast approaching, and with it lots of activities also end. There are end of the season soccer tournaments, gymnastics shows and of course preK graduations. Throw in there a little guy shedding his training wheels and another about to leave diapers behind and well...I find myself caught up in the emotional seesaw of my kids milestones.

It all started when they were infants. It is beyond exciting, ridiculous really, the charge you get when your little baby smiles for the first time or starts to sit up. And for me at least, there was also a little pang of sadness because achieving that milestone means they are growing up. The realization hits that you can never go back to swaddling, nursing, or rocking them to sleep in your arms. And just as that sucker punch of a thought knocks the wind out of you, your baby does another amazing feat for the first time and you are rocketed back to the overwhelming joy of parenthood. Seesaw, seesaw. Up, down. Up, down.

Im realizing now that those early milestones, albeit exciting and memorable, pale in comparison to what is happening now. Because now my babies are little people whose hopes, fears, and deepest wishes I know better than my own.  And now they invest in their own milestones and practice and dream about them at night. So when she finally gets on that high bar my heart is in my throat. I know she is a little scared and that she would be mortified if she messed up. And when she jumps down with a proud smile, her eyes seek out mine in the sea of excited parents and camera lenses. The seesaw picks up right where it left off. Im so proud and excited, and a little shocked that my baby is big enough to do what she just did.

If you see me around town in the next few weeks, ignore my frazzled look. My babies are growing fast and Im trying to hang on for the ride.