Hi everyone! I’m really excited about today’s post: I had the chance to take Tristan on his first camping trip!
There’s something special about camping. Northern Arizona has plenty of trees and great weather to escape from the Valley on occasion. Mix that with campfire-roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, amazingly starry skies, and plenty of wildlife… well, I think it’s one of the best ways to make memories with your kids.
Tristan was excited in the days leading up to it. I don’t think he stopped talking about camping for an entire week, and that was before we had even gone. A few of my good friends went with us and couldn’t help but be charmed by Tristan’s grin on the drive up. The smile on his face was gigantic, and he couldn’t help but ask if we were there yet. Sure, he asked it about a trillion times, but hey, that’s the life I chose as a mother. (It was cute. Really. When it comes from excitement instead of boredom, it’s infectious. I wanted to say it too.)
When we got there, we all set up a tent together in the woods, making sure that we had plenty of room outside for the fire pit and everything. Tristan had a blast running around the campsite, hunting down pinecones and hopping from rock to dirt to pine-needle-covered patch. My friend Kathy taught him how to read a map while we explored, something he took to really quickly and seemed to love.
At dinnertime, we got the fire going, and before it got dark, I showed Tristan a picture I took of the stars to show him what the night sky would look like. While he ducked away from the smoke, I taught him how to roast the hot dogs and the marshmallows without burning himself, and I swear he downed an entire bag of sweets. (Wait, maybe that was me. Don’t tell anyone.)
After dinner, Kathy brought out her telescope, and we got to take turns showing Tristan the starry sky above us. You can see some of it in Phoenix, but in the mountains where there’s so much less smog, it’s way clearer, so you can see even more stars and the Milky Way itself. We even got to show him Mars!
Of course, kids tucker out quickly, so as soon as Tristan climbed in the tent and his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. I got to stay up with my friends for a little longer, swapping stories and gazing up at the stars. In the morning, we took a walk, and Tristan practiced his numbers with Kathy and her sister. He’s getting the hang of ‘em!
It was an amazing time. Getting out of the Phoenix heat is always nice, but being able to give Tristan some of his firsts, especially ones that are so fun, is forever magical. I can’t wait for the next time.
Love,
Jo
