camping part two

     camping part two.

   

^^exploring.^^

^^a good pouting log.^^

^^campsite view day two. and the dogs make an appearance.^^

^^snuggly babe, toasted honey buns, coffee and a view. not a bad start to the day.^^

^^our final campsite with three other couples. thankfully we missed the storm in the background.^^

^^his guy loves popcorn and we love him! go jiffy pop!^^

^^our campfire...due to the burn ban.^^

such a great trip. we spent each night at a different campsite and drove 4x4 trails throughout the days. it gave us a new perspective of a part of colorado that we hadn't spent any time in before. we spent time around crested butte, taylor park and buena vista. i've since decided we must go back to taylor park and spend some more time because it is my new favorite part of colorado.

we feel so much more confident now about taking the kids (and dogs) and hope to get a few more camps in before summers end. christopher's residency will be finished (!!!) next summer and we have no idea where we will end up, so we want to make the most of our time here. 

advice on camping with kiddos: 

LOTS of wipes. we used every sort imaginable for just about everything. i packed more than i thought we could ever use in four days and we ran out. thanks for that advice sarah.

forget about bedtimes. camping is too exciting to have any sort of normal routine. 

leave the toys at home. nature is the ultimate playground. harper was always entertained. and if your kids do get a little bored, come up with fun challenges...like find the biggest walking stick or who can collect the most rocks or how deep of a hole can you dig in the ground?

babies are excellent campers. i was so nervous about taking our four month old son, but he was amazing. he slept beside us in the tent. (we asked a pediatrician for his advice on this matter) just make sure they wear an extra layer and a hat. i also put him in the baby mittens because it got pretty chilly at night. and we didn't have to worry about packing food or snacks for him since he is nursing. also, since he is not yet mobile we didn't have to worry about him getting into things he shouldn't. (huge!) 

we took harper's training toilet. since it is so small, we thought it might be easier to take this trip than to teach her to squat. also, less messy, because she has squatted before! 

most of all have fun and don't worry. (funny advice coming from me, right?) it does all work out and it is such a magical time for kids and grown ups too.