Camping, continued
Aug. 5th, 2004 09:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
la_rainetteAs far as camping competence is concerned, on a scale of 0 to 10 (O being the worst, and 10 the best), I am currently rated at .3 for utter ineptitude but being a good sport nevertheless.
Granted, I once revived a dying fire, but whatever bonus points I had gathered in the process were promptly lost as I unwittingly dumped the drinking water tank into the dirt. Also, the next fire, which was thriving as long as it was being watched by Husband, conked out on me the second I took over.
I screamed each time I saw a spider (SPIIIIIIIDEEEEEER!), or any three-leaved plant (POISON IVYYYYYYYYYYY).
And although one mom (tired-looking and desperately trying to coax her finicky 5-year-old into peeing in the stinky toilet) looked at me as if the Potty was a stroke of genius (both girls took one good sniff at the Toilet of Doom and decided they'd rather hold back for a week than go in there), Husband says it doesn't count because I would have brought it anyway (true).
I also lost a gazillion of points the night I didn't Close the Tent Properly, because the little flaps that I thought very pretty but fairly useless were supposed to keep the rain out. It rained that night, and our tent held out, I am proud to say, but for the one puddle where the flap was left flapping and thus couldn't do its job. Woops.
The good bits, you ask? Campfires and s'mores. Sunbathing and sandcastles, and reading a good book on the beach. No mosquitos, who all gravitated towards Husband. A friendly snake, who allowed us to come up close and personal while it lounged in the sun.
Swimming in Lake Ontario, despite the cold, because I amnuts brave. A bit of a challenge, that. I waded in until the water reached my thighs, then started to swim, only to feel my belly touch the sand and find myself beached like a whale a few feet further. I then stood up and realized, hey, the water was slightly below knee level again. I then walked a bit further, and tried again. Repeat process as many times as they are sandbanks along the beach. So quite a few times, really. *counts scrapes on belly*. Yeah.
Listening to the wildlife, at night. Wondering whether I would be able to sleep with a full bladder, or if I should brave the snarling, growling, hissing wildlife; deciding to wait, being woken up by the winged wildlife (cackling, trumpeting, singing at the top of their lungs) and going out in the dawn, and watch the sun rise on Lake Ontario.
Eating hot dogs, and sweet corn, and roasted marshmallows, all done on the open fire, and NO WASHING UP at all. Downing a Quebec beer, outrageously high in alcohol, and watching the fire. I love fires. If I ever grow up, I want to be an arsonist. Er.
Being silly. For the fun of it.
Morning silliness that went thus:
Froglet *brandishes sparkly magic wand*: Abracadabra! Poof!
Tadpole *same*: Aplaplaplapla poof!
la rainette *most retarded face*: ribbit
Husband: you changed mom into a frog.
la rainette: ribbit
Froglet *amused*: Mom?
la rainette: ribbit
Froglet: what do we do now?
la rainette: ribbit
Husband: you have to give her a kiss.
Froglet *skips over, plants a sweet kiss on my cheek*
la rainette: ribbit
Husband: you too, Tadpole.
Tadpole *tries to skip, almost falls over her own feet, resolves to running, plants sticky kiss on my other cheek*
la rainette: aaaaahhhhhhhh!
Husband: Hurray!
la rainette: imagine, if you hadn't changed me back, Daddy would have been left with the washing-up and all the other chores to do! On his own!
Husband: ribbit
Daytime silliness:
Walking in the marsh, where turtles and frogs and snakes alledgedly abund:
Husband: Froglet, don't run, you're scaring the Wildlife.
Froglet: why?
Husband: too much noise. If they're scared, they'll hide and we won't see them. Stay behind me.
Froglet *stomps feet* BUT I WANT TO SEE THEM TOO!
la rainette *listens in amused silence as assorted wildlife scurries, flies, swims, slithers, and hops away as fast as they can*
Husband *fumes* THERE. WE WON'T SEE THEM, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT
la rainette *watches last hard-of-hearing frog, startled by noise, fall off its lily pad*.
la rainette *absent-mindedly pulls weed*
Husband *hyperventilates* WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
la rainette *jumps, startled*: I'm weeding, why?
Husband *tries hard to control himself*: No, honey. In our backyard, it's called weeding. Over here, it's called Defacing a Provincial Park.
la rainette *wipes hands on pants guiltily*: woops. sorry.
Discussing last night's events:
la rainette: WAH the rain. So. Much. Rain.
Husband: Yeah. And the puddle in the tent. *glares*
la rainette *hastily changes topic*: I couldn't even go pee!
Husband: you would have gotten really wet.
la rainette: and also, the wildlife! Think of the wildlife!
Husband: ??
la rainette: something snarled
Husband: that was Froglet, coughing and snoring.
la rainette *annoyed*: No, the bushes moved, too, I head them.
Husband: Well, plants ARE living being, but do the bushes qualify as Wildlife? I wonder. *ducks as la rainette attempts to thwap him on the head*
Nightime silliness:
Big Black Bird on tent: cra cra
Tadpole: uh.
la rainette: shhhh
BBB: CRA CRA
Tadpole: UH
la rainette: shhhhhhhhh
BBB: CRAAAA CRAAAA
Tadpole: UUUUUUUHHHHHHH!
la rainette: SHHHHHHHHH
Husband: SHUT UP! SHUT UP! YOU GUYS JUST SHUT UP! I CAN'T SLEEP!
Froglet: Mommeeeeeeeeeeee! What's going on? Is it morning yet?
la rainette *headpffffff* (it's hard to headthunk on an air matress)
Big Black Bird: CRA! *craps once on tent, then is off*
Ah, the joys of camping. With kids. And Wildlife. Under the rain. Nothing quite compares.
Granted, I once revived a dying fire, but whatever bonus points I had gathered in the process were promptly lost as I unwittingly dumped the drinking water tank into the dirt. Also, the next fire, which was thriving as long as it was being watched by Husband, conked out on me the second I took over.
I screamed each time I saw a spider (SPIIIIIIIDEEEEEER!), or any three-leaved plant (POISON IVYYYYYYYYYYY).
And although one mom (tired-looking and desperately trying to coax her finicky 5-year-old into peeing in the stinky toilet) looked at me as if the Potty was a stroke of genius (both girls took one good sniff at the Toilet of Doom and decided they'd rather hold back for a week than go in there), Husband says it doesn't count because I would have brought it anyway (true).
I also lost a gazillion of points the night I didn't Close the Tent Properly, because the little flaps that I thought very pretty but fairly useless were supposed to keep the rain out. It rained that night, and our tent held out, I am proud to say, but for the one puddle where the flap was left flapping and thus couldn't do its job. Woops.
The good bits, you ask? Campfires and s'mores. Sunbathing and sandcastles, and reading a good book on the beach. No mosquitos, who all gravitated towards Husband. A friendly snake, who allowed us to come up close and personal while it lounged in the sun.
Swimming in Lake Ontario, despite the cold, because I am
Listening to the wildlife, at night. Wondering whether I would be able to sleep with a full bladder, or if I should brave the snarling, growling, hissing wildlife; deciding to wait, being woken up by the winged wildlife (cackling, trumpeting, singing at the top of their lungs) and going out in the dawn, and watch the sun rise on Lake Ontario.
Eating hot dogs, and sweet corn, and roasted marshmallows, all done on the open fire, and NO WASHING UP at all. Downing a Quebec beer, outrageously high in alcohol, and watching the fire. I love fires. If I ever grow up, I want to be an arsonist. Er.
Being silly. For the fun of it.
Morning silliness that went thus:
Froglet *brandishes sparkly magic wand*: Abracadabra! Poof!
Tadpole *same*: Aplaplaplapla poof!
la rainette *most retarded face*: ribbit
Husband: you changed mom into a frog.
la rainette: ribbit
Froglet *amused*: Mom?
la rainette: ribbit
Froglet: what do we do now?
la rainette: ribbit
Husband: you have to give her a kiss.
Froglet *skips over, plants a sweet kiss on my cheek*
la rainette: ribbit
Husband: you too, Tadpole.
Tadpole *tries to skip, almost falls over her own feet, resolves to running, plants sticky kiss on my other cheek*
la rainette: aaaaahhhhhhhh!
Husband: Hurray!
la rainette: imagine, if you hadn't changed me back, Daddy would have been left with the washing-up and all the other chores to do! On his own!
Husband: ribbit
Daytime silliness:
Walking in the marsh, where turtles and frogs and snakes alledgedly abund:
Husband: Froglet, don't run, you're scaring the Wildlife.
Froglet: why?
Husband: too much noise. If they're scared, they'll hide and we won't see them. Stay behind me.
Froglet *stomps feet* BUT I WANT TO SEE THEM TOO!
la rainette *listens in amused silence as assorted wildlife scurries, flies, swims, slithers, and hops away as fast as they can*
Husband *fumes* THERE. WE WON'T SEE THEM, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT
la rainette *watches last hard-of-hearing frog, startled by noise, fall off its lily pad*.
la rainette *absent-mindedly pulls weed*
Husband *hyperventilates* WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
la rainette *jumps, startled*: I'm weeding, why?
Husband *tries hard to control himself*: No, honey. In our backyard, it's called weeding. Over here, it's called Defacing a Provincial Park.
la rainette *wipes hands on pants guiltily*: woops. sorry.
Discussing last night's events:
la rainette: WAH the rain. So. Much. Rain.
Husband: Yeah. And the puddle in the tent. *glares*
la rainette *hastily changes topic*: I couldn't even go pee!
Husband: you would have gotten really wet.
la rainette: and also, the wildlife! Think of the wildlife!
Husband: ??
la rainette: something snarled
Husband: that was Froglet, coughing and snoring.
la rainette *annoyed*: No, the bushes moved, too, I head them.
Husband: Well, plants ARE living being, but do the bushes qualify as Wildlife? I wonder. *ducks as la rainette attempts to thwap him on the head*
Nightime silliness:
Big Black Bird on tent: cra cra
Tadpole: uh.
la rainette: shhhh
BBB: CRA CRA
Tadpole: UH
la rainette: shhhhhhhhh
BBB: CRAAAA CRAAAA
Tadpole: UUUUUUUHHHHHHH!
la rainette: SHHHHHHHHH
Husband: SHUT UP! SHUT UP! YOU GUYS JUST SHUT UP! I CAN'T SLEEP!
Froglet: Mommeeeeeeeeeeee! What's going on? Is it morning yet?
la rainette *headpffffff* (it's hard to headthunk on an air matress)
Big Black Bird: CRA! *craps once on tent, then is off*
Ah, the joys of camping. With kids. And Wildlife. Under the rain. Nothing quite compares.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-08-05 05:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 12:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 12:05 am (UTC)Froglet *brandishes sparkly magic wand*: Abracadabra! Poof!
Tadpole *same*: Aplaplaplapla poof!
That sounds just like mine, though. Katie is a little parrot of whatever her big brother says and does - cute, unless he's misbehaving.
Glad you're back safe ^_^;
no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 12:24 am (UTC)Thank you, am glad to be back safe, too.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 02:09 pm (UTC)Husband: ribbit
This whole entry had me wiping my eyes from laughter. I love the way you put things. I love the way Tadpole imitates Froglet, too.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 02:25 pm (UTC)Not that she doesn't understand, but she tends to repeat what her sister says without paying any attention whatsoever :D
no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 04:07 pm (UTC)