Parenting Under the Stars

I survived the church family campout at Jordan Pines.I even slept well on my mostly flat airbed. I was warm and cozy under my 30-year old flannel lined sleeping bag that my Dad bought me when I was a kid. Compared to having my babies’ middle-of-the-night screams echoing through the campground–which is how it used to be for many years–it was a rousing success. I actually woke up not feeling drugged, achy or extraordinarily cranky, like I’d been run over by a semi. I felt even sort of refreshed.

How is this possible? The kids are growing up, and I tell you, it gets better every day. That, plus I got to read a lot of Eclipse instead of socializing. I kind of felt bad just sort of sitting in the car reading while other families were arriving, but when they would see me reading, they’d say, “Oh, what part are you at?” and “Oh, I wish I were reading it right now!” One woman spent the entire campout excluding meals holed up in the tent reading. She’d made a deal with her husband that she’d go if she could read and he would take care of the kids. So I guess I wasn’t such a freak show.

The best part was laying in the tent with a flashlight reading, completley absorbed in the tension between Edward and Jacob. First, I’d want her to love Edward more, then Jacob, and then I was so overwhelmed my my own emotions I couldn’t even make a decision on who I would love if it were me. Outside it was still and dark and perfect for staying up late to read. I loved it.

I don’t function too well in the mornings, but my friend, Nancy, who is little merry sunshine in the a.m., got up and helped Darren make breakfast for people. I woke up to start cutting up fruit, and it was already done! Thanks Nancy! I guess I shouldn’t have been such a crab on Friday about the whole thing.

People said it was the best breakfast ever. Here’s what we had in case you have a huge group of people to provide breakfast for.

We made our own sausage, egg, cheese biscuits on toasted English muffins. You toast the muffins on a grill and put a slice of cheese, a round sausage patty and some scrambled egg inside. Yum. People thought this was cool.

Then we had clementines, bananas, and melons to choose from.

We had hot chocolate, juice and milk to choose from.

We had assorted bagels with cream cheese or choice of jam, honey or peanut butter.

Everyone talked about the variety of things. Everyone could find something they liked. And the little kids loved that they had a choice in what to put on their bagels.