Ten Reasons I’ll be Camping Again this Summer

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Ten Reasons I’ll be Camping Again this Summer

Last summer, for July 4th we went camping for the second time with the kiddos.

The year before wasn’t quite what I hoped it would be, mainly because I am old and this chubby body just isn’t made for sleeping on the ground. Thankfully, I have some wonderful friends who could see my pain and offered to let us use their tent trailer this time around. Boy what a difference four feet makes! Four feet off the ground that is.

Anyway, this trip that made me realize why I will continue to take my kids camping even though it is not my cup of tea.

So without further adieu I give you the “Top 10 Reasons I’ll Go Camping Again Even Though I Hate Dislike It”

10. Trudging through the forest looking for a creek to play in only to find that said creek is two inches deep and down an embankment.

9. Having great stories to tell around the campfire. Like how I had to get up in the middle of the night to pee and on the way back scared myself so bad that I ended up running all the way from the bathroom back to the trailer. (I watch too much Ghost Adventures I think.)

8. Because nothing beats having a wide open area for the kids to play and ride bikes around. And nothing beats watching covertly as your son struggles and then conquers how to start on his two-wheel bike by himself.

7. Relaxing in a lawn chair with a drink in hand just talking to the hubs.

6. Being 100% unplugged. (Seriously, you have to drive six miles to even get a cell signal.)

5. Every little boy should have a great outdoor adventure with his dog.

4. There are always books on my To Read list.

3. Because little boys deserve to learn how to shoot a BB gun. (Under very close supervision, I should add.)

2. Little girls deserve it too.

And drumroll please…………………..

The number one reason I’ll Go Camping Again Even Though I Hate Dislike It is…

1. Because even though I have to drive eight miles each day to take a shower, you can’t beat the smile on my kids’ faces as they fall into their sleeping bags completely and utterly dirty, not to mention exhausted.

Even if it’s to the backyard, take your kids camping. The memories they will create and the love you will share will last a lifetime.

Tina lives in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with her airman husband and two young children, whom she stays at home with all day, every day. When she can get away, she works part time as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. She blogs at Mad Hatter Mom.