The Funny thing about Camping..
For weeks we were anticipating Carter's first Camping trip. I knew he would L.O.V.E it! Carter LOVES being outside, playing in dirt and becoming a total disaster to the point where bath time at the end of the day is non negotiable!
I packed up the car with extra things for Carter specifically to make sure this camping trip would be as good as we were hoping for... extra toys.. story books.. cool flash lights.. I even downloaded a Thomas the Train soundtrack on my phone!
Brian had to work Friday until 6pm so Carter and I picked him up after work and headed out to Little Elbow Camp Ground to meet up with the rest of the Reed Family. Once we arrived, Dad Reed and Brian started setting up our tent...
... we ate dinner... actually maybe eating dinner was before setting the tent up... this camping trip really became a blur once the evening set in, but Ill get to that in a bit!
Carter fell in love with this little chair that Grandma & Grandpa brought for him... it was the cutest thing... he would get on it and literally .. sit down and just relax.. like this...
hahaha oh Carter.
We brought George with us too... and aside from him "attacking" the guys camping next to us (which thankfully they thought was hilarious) he was a pretty good boy.. most of the time.
Once we were a bit settled in Carter and his older cousin Marsden were playing and having the time of their life
Marsden LOVED the hammer that we brought and really felt the need to fix the campsite lol including Grandma & Grandpa's tent.. it was so funny and cute! And we were all very grateful that it didn't rain because once the boys found the buckets, shovels and the dirt... there was no turning back.. they were filthy! No matter how many times we washed their hands... within 20 seconds they were gross again...
Such boys for sure! In fact there was even one point I looked at Carter and it looked like he had a moustache because of so much dirt on his face lol But they had so much fun together and its Camping... its never "clean"!
Then Auntie Lena showed the boys this cool tree stump that was like a car ramp.. they ate that up.. they were laughing and playing and giggling lol it was awesome! Thanks Auntie Lena!
And then... the night time rolled around. Here is where our super fun camping trip took a turn. We were enjoying the evening around the camp fire... it was a beautiful night... the crackling of the fire... family chatter, smores and banana boats being made... and at around 11pm Carter started to act a little fussy... which really it was 3 and a half hours past his usual bedtime so it was expected to happen. Bri and Carter and I said our goodnights and headed across the little road to our tent.
Now, before I go on I must say that Carter has NEVER slept with Brian and I ... Ever. When he was first born, we had him beside our bed in a bassinet and after 3 weeks of terrible sleeping we put him in his crib and he has been a really good sleeper since.. so we knew this would be a whole new experience for him sleeping beside mom and dad but we didn't anticipate it being THIS BAD.
Carter was awake... crying... fussing... rolling around from 11pm when we got to our tent until just after 1am. We were Exhausted...but it wasn't really his fault.. he was trying to get confirmable but just couldn't with us right beside him. Poor little guy... FINALLY he fell asleep while watching a little story book app I have on my phone. It was just after 1am, Brian and I were both pressed up against either side of the air mattress while Carter took the entire middle.. we didn't want to move.. in fact I was even scared to breath to loudly incase we woke him back up. Bri and I lied there... trying our best to fall asleep but we were so uncomfortable. Finally we too fell sleep around 2am.
But the night doesn't end there... Carter woke up BALLING... SCREAMING... at 3am. We tried SOOOO hard to calm him down... don't forget we were at a camp site with tons of other people also camping in tents ... listening to our 1 and a 1/2 year old screaming at 3 o'clock in the morning.. those poor people lol. Finally at 3:30am Brian took Carter out of the tent and put him in the car in his car seat hoping that he would fall back asleep... Brian stayed in the car with him while I stayed in the tent with George... but I couldn't fall asleep because all I could hear was Carter crying for Mommy. So 20 minutes in, I took George, Grabbed our blankets and pillows and joined Brian and Carter in the Car... once again hoping he would fall asleep.... No luck.. in fact his crying got worse. Finally at 4am we decided to drive... Brian and I were so tired ... trying to keep each other awake while our precious little cargo finally fell fast asleep as we drove. We ended up driving back to Calgary... we dropped George off at home.. he was so tired too he was excited to get into his own bed... but we didn't want to wake Carter up so we just continued to drive.... and drive.. and drive... and finally around 7am we got back to the campsite... and the second the car turned off Carter woke up.
Needless to say it was a VERY long night!
Bri and I felt like we needed toothpicks to hold our eyeballs open all day. Carter was a little crabby (but not as bad at is could have been) and although we tried to be good sports for the rest of the day on a little hike and clean up.. we were excited to be home.
This won't be the last time we go camping.. but maybe for the rest of the summer we will stick to our own beds or hotels lol.. it scared us enough to wait until Carter is a little bit older to try it again.. when maybe sleeping beside mom and dad is a fun treat and not a disaster.
Next time, we will bring our playpen and HOPEFULLY that will help... at this point anything is worth a shot! lol
... we ate dinner... actually maybe eating dinner was before setting the tent up... this camping trip really became a blur once the evening set in, but Ill get to that in a bit!
Carter fell in love with this little chair that Grandma & Grandpa brought for him... it was the cutest thing... he would get on it and literally .. sit down and just relax.. like this...
hahaha oh Carter.
We brought George with us too... and aside from him "attacking" the guys camping next to us (which thankfully they thought was hilarious) he was a pretty good boy.. most of the time.
Once we were a bit settled in Carter and his older cousin Marsden were playing and having the time of their life
Marsden LOVED the hammer that we brought and really felt the need to fix the campsite lol including Grandma & Grandpa's tent.. it was so funny and cute! And we were all very grateful that it didn't rain because once the boys found the buckets, shovels and the dirt... there was no turning back.. they were filthy! No matter how many times we washed their hands... within 20 seconds they were gross again...
Such boys for sure! In fact there was even one point I looked at Carter and it looked like he had a moustache because of so much dirt on his face lol But they had so much fun together and its Camping... its never "clean"!
Then Auntie Lena showed the boys this cool tree stump that was like a car ramp.. they ate that up.. they were laughing and playing and giggling lol it was awesome! Thanks Auntie Lena!
And then... the night time rolled around. Here is where our super fun camping trip took a turn. We were enjoying the evening around the camp fire... it was a beautiful night... the crackling of the fire... family chatter, smores and banana boats being made... and at around 11pm Carter started to act a little fussy... which really it was 3 and a half hours past his usual bedtime so it was expected to happen. Bri and Carter and I said our goodnights and headed across the little road to our tent.
Now, before I go on I must say that Carter has NEVER slept with Brian and I ... Ever. When he was first born, we had him beside our bed in a bassinet and after 3 weeks of terrible sleeping we put him in his crib and he has been a really good sleeper since.. so we knew this would be a whole new experience for him sleeping beside mom and dad but we didn't anticipate it being THIS BAD.
Carter was awake... crying... fussing... rolling around from 11pm when we got to our tent until just after 1am. We were Exhausted...but it wasn't really his fault.. he was trying to get confirmable but just couldn't with us right beside him. Poor little guy... FINALLY he fell asleep while watching a little story book app I have on my phone. It was just after 1am, Brian and I were both pressed up against either side of the air mattress while Carter took the entire middle.. we didn't want to move.. in fact I was even scared to breath to loudly incase we woke him back up. Bri and I lied there... trying our best to fall asleep but we were so uncomfortable. Finally we too fell sleep around 2am.
But the night doesn't end there... Carter woke up BALLING... SCREAMING... at 3am. We tried SOOOO hard to calm him down... don't forget we were at a camp site with tons of other people also camping in tents ... listening to our 1 and a 1/2 year old screaming at 3 o'clock in the morning.. those poor people lol. Finally at 3:30am Brian took Carter out of the tent and put him in the car in his car seat hoping that he would fall back asleep... Brian stayed in the car with him while I stayed in the tent with George... but I couldn't fall asleep because all I could hear was Carter crying for Mommy. So 20 minutes in, I took George, Grabbed our blankets and pillows and joined Brian and Carter in the Car... once again hoping he would fall asleep.... No luck.. in fact his crying got worse. Finally at 4am we decided to drive... Brian and I were so tired ... trying to keep each other awake while our precious little cargo finally fell fast asleep as we drove. We ended up driving back to Calgary... we dropped George off at home.. he was so tired too he was excited to get into his own bed... but we didn't want to wake Carter up so we just continued to drive.... and drive.. and drive... and finally around 7am we got back to the campsite... and the second the car turned off Carter woke up.
Needless to say it was a VERY long night!
Bri and I felt like we needed toothpicks to hold our eyeballs open all day. Carter was a little crabby (but not as bad at is could have been) and although we tried to be good sports for the rest of the day on a little hike and clean up.. we were excited to be home.
This won't be the last time we go camping.. but maybe for the rest of the summer we will stick to our own beds or hotels lol.. it scared us enough to wait until Carter is a little bit older to try it again.. when maybe sleeping beside mom and dad is a fun treat and not a disaster.
Next time, we will bring our playpen and HOPEFULLY that will help... at this point anything is worth a shot! lol
