Inspired by the event, Bob decided to introduce the kids to camping, by designing the Backyard Outback. The Backyard Outback consisted of a night of tent camping in the backyard, followed by a bike ride. We did the activities backwards but, hey, it's the spirit that counts.
The kids have never spent a night in a tent, so we thought it best to do this at home where, if things went sideways, we could retreat to the house. We started discussing the rules on Saturday afternoon. Rule #1: no shoes in the tent. Rule #2: pee before getting in the tent. Rule #3: if you have to pee, you're not allowed to hold it in; you have to wake up and go to the bathroom.
We pitched the tent Saturday evening and climbed in ready for bed around 10:30, when the kids were good and tired. Donna had to work the next day; therefore, she stayed in the house to get a good night's sleep. Here is Robert after helping to set up the tent.
Tucked in and ready to sleep. Not seen is a giant air mattress that took up the entire floor and made sleeping easy peazy.
The space was a bit cramped for three people, but everyone slept well. Robert obeyed Rule #3, but Sam did not!
Morning always seems to come "sooner" in a tent. The birds started chirping around 6am. Boy do we have a lot of birds in the neighborhood. Sam was first to wake up and immediately retreated to the house to watch television. Robert slept late, emerging from the tent announcing "that was the best sleep ever."
We wrapped up the Backyard Outback with the bicycling component Sunday evening as dinner (prime rib) was roasting.
The kids really enjoyed the experience and it was less trouble than we imagined. They took to the tent environment pretty well considering the cramped and unfamiliar space. Next step is an overnight in the mountains, perhaps a family oriented campground upstate.
Happy Summer!
