WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

After my last [failed] attempt at camping, many wondered if I'd just throw in the towel. Clearly, people underestimate me; I'm persistent, if not down-right stubborn. The day after my last camping trip, the mr. and I made plans to go camping with his sister and her family over Memorial Day weekend. That fell through. So we made plans to go with friends. That fell through, too. We were just a week out from our trip, but we couldn't cancel on our kids. So we braved it alone. BEST. TRIP. EVER. No, it was not without fault. But it gave us the opportunity to learn and discover how to camp as a family of eight.

OVERVIEW:
We left Saturday morning and found a spot on the Mogollon Rim around noon. Forest Rd 300 (Rim Rd), about 10 miles in. The mr. and I were able to set up camp while the kids ate lunch. After all was said and done (which may or may not have included a terrible mishap with ALL of our water), we went on a short, late afternoon hike. 100 yards from camp to the edge of the Rim. Absolutely stunning views. When we got back to camp, we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. S'mores, of course. We played with glow stick balls as daylight faded. Called it a night around 8pm and headed for the tent, glow sticks in hand. A relatively good night with an acceptable amount of sleep. Considering I'm afraid of the woods. And I'm afraid of the dark. And I'm afraid of the woods IN the dark. But 6:30am came and I was still alive. We started our Sunday morning with eggs and sausage made over the fire. A spontaneous mile-long hike followed breakfast, bringing us to another point on the edge of the Rim. We colored and played with bubbles once we returned back camp, waiting for our tinfoil quesadillas to cook. After lunch, we drove another 17 miles down Rim Rd to visit Knoll Lake. Tons of people fishing, little room to enjoy the view. Luckily, the kids lost interest after about 15 minutes, so we drove back to camp. We taught the kids to play checkers while we waited for our tinfoil dinners to cook. Least successful meal. Campfire apple crisp for dessert before a good game of glow stick ring toss. Another early night, with us hitting the tent by 7:30pm. A bit of reading by flashlight before lights out. A better night of sleep by all, minus the baby, who decided to have a scream-fest at about 1am. The mr. finally got her to calm down and fall asleep in his arms. By 6:30am, all were awake. Skillet pancakes for breakfast. The kids played with sticks and pinecones while the mr. and I broke camp. We went on one last little hike to the edge of the Rim before loading up and heading home. All in all, a fabulous adventure and a great bonding experience for our family. The only injury: a certain 5 year old's ego because of a jab from a stick...

TAKE-AWAYS:
* Make sure water jugs (and lids) are COMPLETELY SECURE before setting off. Or lids may leak a little. Or a lot. Or completely... And then you will have to drive miles back to the nearest town that charges $$ for a basic necessity.
* If you have a baby under the age of 2, invest in a baby backpack. Of any sort. I opted for the $10 version on eBay. Seriously, the GREATEST thing that I brought on our camping trip.
* Glow sticks. Glow sticks, glow sticks, glow sticks. Go to WalMart and buy a ton of glow sticks. I prefer the short, fat kind over the bracelets. And glow stick games. Buy glow stick games.
* Don't worry about cute activities and Pinterest ideas. Stop it. Stick to simple things like crayons and bubbles. And sticks. Goodness knows, kids will pick sticks over all else. Especially cute Pinterest crap.
* If your kids aren't adventurous eaters, STICK WITH HOTDOGS. We tried a variety of meals and cooking methods. Long story short, hot dogs for life. Again, stay away from Pinterest...
* Make your kids collect a thousand pinecones and make them line designated pathways. This way you can set up camp but still know exactly what they are doing. Then yell "BORDER PATROL" any time someone accidentally kicks the border.
* Ditch the phone for the trip. Luckily, we were in an area with zero service. I had enough of a bar to text my exact location to my mom in case a bear ate me. Or a psycho killed me. Or I fell off the edge of the Rim. Other than that, I was unplugged. And it was beautiful.