Micah decided that we needed to go camping, and he picked Joshua Tree — a place neither of us had been.
So we picked the kids up right after school (while I headed into a parent/teacher conference), and then headed out.
We got there after dark, and set up camp in Indian Cove, spot 14.
Daddy set up almost everything with the kids, while I got everyone warm, and fed for the night.
Including the Pips, who doesn’t have an ounce of fat on her, so we layered and layered her.
I am pretty sure that she was warm everywhere except her red hands and nose.
When it came time to go to bed, we all got into our family tent. But an hour in, Pippi wasn’t having it, so I then proceeded to take her into the car, so the others could sleep. That was 10:00.
After a drive around the far-off town, a call to see if my mom had plans over that night (which she had book club), a two hour stop at Walmart where we loaded up on hand warmers, a 24-hour Starbucks stop, some star gazing, and other things I don’t recall….she finally fell asleep at 4:50am. I’m not convinced that camping is her thing quite yet.
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But when the sun rose, and everyone was warm again, and she had some food….
She was back to normal. She was perfect all day long, and just cruised alongside the rest of us.
I was getting the Pips in the stroller when I heard Scout call down.
I snapped a picture and told him to get down immediately. And then I asked where Dash was. Scout informed me he was almost to the top. I sent Micah to get them ASAP, and then had a low hum of anxiety the rest of the trip.
I don’t know why?
My kids were only one fall away from brain damage at any given moment.
This group climbed and climbed and climbed.
They climbed the rocks to find the metal inlay that they tried to carve out.
They climbed rocks to find ancient petroglyphs.
They threw rocks.
They ate on rocks.
They ate and danced on rocks.
They ate it on rocks.
They got scraped up on the rocks.
These pants fell victim to the rocks.
On our way to some more rocks, this fox broke up my kid’s rock obsession.
Then it was finally time to give the rocks a rest, and sit by the campfire and roast up some of the tastiest s’mores I have ever had!
Then to warm up the kids one final time, and to tire their eyes, we drove around on a “night exploration”. We were in the middle of nowhere, and it was pitch black when I saw a bathroom. I told the kids that I would give whomever would go and use the restroom by themselves $10. Dash immediately volunteered while the other kids were in amazement. But when he was almost to the bathroom, he realized how dark it was, and booked it back! We were dying laughing. But after Scout claimed he would do it, but that was a no-go also.
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It was finally bedtime, and I am proud to report that Pippi slept the whole night through.
(I am sure it was due to Micah’s amazing bed he made her in the back of the car.)
The final morning, Micah was in his element while he whipped up a mean breakfast for us — eggs, bacon, etc.
THen I was summoned to the bathrooms, where Scout was trying to make a zip line while his biggest cheerleader watched.
Micah and I both told him we didnt think it was going to work, but he persevered on….and…
it WORKED!
We were all so impressed, and he was so proud.
And on our way back, I snapped a picture of the two most beautiful things I saw the entire time I was in Joshua Tree.
The sunrise.
And a well-rested one year old.
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