Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Camping

10. It's good for my back. Sleeping on a plywood board, even with the negligible aide of an egg crate mattress is good for my posture. Sure, it can take a few hours each morning to work the kinks out but it's all good. No pain, no gain...right?

9. Camping fosters a true appreciation of Mother's Natures Power. Such as the power of the recent thunderstorm that ripped the screen house completely off of my camper and tossed it like Barbie's hankie 15 feet away.

8. Soaking up the sound of the rain. After a hot, sticky day nothing cools the air like a gentle evening rain. In our camper, as the rain hits the canvas it sounds as if the Hand of God were hurling gravel onto the canvas and aluminum roof. Some of my very best conversations with the kids have been at 2 am after the thunder of the rain has woken everyone up. Of course, we have to yell to hear each other but yelling is good for the vocal cords....right?

7. True appreciation of what you don't have. Like the missing screen house that allowed us to keep a few of the campers windows unzipped to let in some fresh air. Without the screen house being in the camper when it rains is akin to being hermetically sealed in a zip lock bag....with 4 kids and a dog.

6. The chance to improve my rusty duct tapping skills. Every mosquito in a five mile radius knows when we are in the camper and comes to feast. The low decibel hum of the gazillion mosquitoes affixed to the outside of the camper is such sweet music to my ears. My "bug proof" camper has a few security breaches. Only the careful and liberal use of duct tape strategically placed over all known points of entry ensures a buzz free sleeping environment.

5. The opportunity to teach my children hunting techniques. When the dozen or more intrepid flying blood suckers do find their way in there is a fool proof technique for hunting down and eliminating the enemy. The child must locate the critter in the beam of their flashlight as it rests on the canvas and then ever so quickly smash them. The more noise and yelling while hunting the better.

4. Teaching proper cleaning methods. There is a best way and a better way to clean blood off of canvas. The gazillion blood spots that remain on the canvas in the morning from the previous evenings kill fest. Spit is good. A diaper wipe is better.

3. Teaching that modesty is for the birds. When one of us has to pee in the middle of the night we all promise not to look as the peer hunkers down atop the tiny, weeny port-a-potty. Just try to pee quietly. And no TP in the potty. Please flush. And if you have to poop then you must wake up your buddy to accompany you on the long trek to Pop-Pop's house to use the real potty. I know it's dark and scary and we heard a coyote out there last year but that's why I bought you the flashlight that you like to shine in my eyes. No Poop in the Port-a-potty!! No.

2. I love birdsong. Especially at 3:25 am. After the Tylenol PM and the wine have worn off and there is not a chance in hell of getting back to sleep on my bed of nails. I often lay there devising ways to kill birds. Especially the one in the tree two feet from my head that has been "trweep trweeping" so loudly. I do NOT think that a 20 gage shotgun with a full load of buck shot would be overkill. Sounds about right.

1. I love the togetherness. When all goes well, which it occasionally does, and we work as a team it feels wonderful to stretch out to sleep with my children and dog close at hand. We whisper about the adventures of the day and our plans for tomorrow. We gaze at the glorious pink and orange sunsets through the screens and know that all is right with our world. Camping with 4 children and a dog can be hard, frustrating and uncomfortable but it is also fun, peaceful and affirming. I wouldn't have it any other way.






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