Our Backyard Campout

My dad and stepmom have been sending Aiden camping gear for his birthdays lately. Last year, it was a really cool tent. This year, a sleeping bag. He has been dying, DYING, to have a “camping day.” So we planned all last week to camp out on Friday night. We had a great day together (Chad stayed home!), and in the late afternoon, we set up the tent and got ready for our adventure.

It was really funny when Myles joined us inside. This is, apparently, a three man, one dog tent.

All was going SO well. Until Aiden went to bed.

There is a very busy road behind our house. All the time, cars and trucks, sirens, people walking and talking loudly. People from the next street over running leaf blowers and lawn mowers. We tried to tough it out. Chad went in the tent to sleep while I stayed by the fire, reading on my very rustic and campy Ipad.

Some robins, silly birds, decided to have a big fight in the tree above the tent at dusk. A fire engine came screaming through the intersection. Someone decided to share his awesome bass with the rest of the world. It was, in a word, NOISY. Way, way too noisy. Aiden was still awake two hours past his bedtime, and the neighbor’s security light behind the house shone directly into the tent. We laughingly called it, hauled in our stuff, and went to bed in our quiet house, with fans running for white noise.

We absolutely plan to go camping for real, hopefully sooner rather than later. However, next time, we are going to find a quiet place in the woods, far away from traffic and security lights.

Aiden was still completely satisfied with the experience and plans to hang out in the tent for most of the day.

We will try again.