Mommy Needs An Aspirin: First Family Camping Trip

WE SURVIVED!

Yes, it was a mere 18 hours with 2 children in the wild Anza Borrego desert of Southern California...but it was an experience...

On Friday, I posted my husband's Top 10 Must-Haves for Surviving. Well, he..he..he, let's just say Rocky forgot to bring something, and it was probably the most important one of all. Read after the jump.

We left our house on Saturday at about 1:30p. The kids were wonderful during the 1.5 hour car ride. We have yet to indulge into car-trippin'-technology (ipads, DVD players, etc)...so I guess I'm always shocked and awed that my kids can sit still for that long and not go cuckoo. I mean, sheesh! How did parent's do it before portable viewing platforms? ;) I guess one word...Raffi.

Rocky didn't really plan on WHERE we were going to camp at Anza Borrego, so we actually didn't find our site till about 4:00p - which gave us an hour to set up. My job: wrangle the kids. His job: set up camp. Eh,...easier said than done. Georgia insisted on disappearing into the wilderness to look for road runners....with her road runner. Houston is still not too convinced he wants to be an outdoors man. I thought maybe showing Houston a stink bug would excite his enthusiasm.

Georgia disappearing into the wild.

Instead he spent the whole time telling me he was scared of the "beeble," (beatle), and freaking out everytime he saw a black rock on the ground. "Hand! Hand! Gee Yup!" insisting that I either assist him around the imagined beatle by holding his hand or simple picking him up out of harm's way.

Then of course, they all have to poop and pee at the same time. I had to stop Rocky to ask him for the potty, while Georgia wiggled and wiggled, and Houston informed me he needed a new "bi-per" (diaper). For those that are curious - yes we did cloth the entire trip. Why wouldn't we?

EVERY moment is a Kodak Moment

Anyways, remember that ONE thing I said Rocky forgot...it was a LIGHTER. Darkness was upon us, the tent was up...and my sometimes smoker, all the time prepared outdoors man had forgot the damn lighter. So 1st we tried the car lighter. No bueno. But luckily, my good ol' Boy-Scout-of-America-Head-Troop-Leader Dad had loaned us some supplies - one of which was a propane lantern WITH a BOX of matchsticks inside. Thank you Dad!

We made dinner. We roasted marshmallows. And then at about 8:00p - Georgia asked to go to bed. So away she went. I held Houston by the fire, wrapped up in my jacket - and he magically fell asleep. Rocky and I high-fived each other because we just weren't too sure how we were going to get our super scheduled children to bed.

For any of you that follow SSAW, Rocky had insisted I buy 2 - 12 packs of O'Douls. #1) because it was New Year's Eve. #2) because for Rocky, desert camping = lots of drinking. He drank 2, as in 2 beers (not 2 - twelve packs). [I'll post more on this topic later].

It was cold at night, but the kids were wrapped and snuggled between Rocky and I. The only problem we had is when my very squished pregnant bladder decided it must be emptied. Houston woke up from my movements, freaked out, and started ~~crying~~ wailing. Luckily we were FAR from other campers and I pee quick!

To share with some of my non-California readers: In the past, Rocky and I have frequently camped at a site called Inkopah - which is inside Anza Borrego State Park, but south of the 1st major freeway (Interstate 8) from the San Diego/Mexico border that runs east/west. Which translates to camping within immigrant routes. When you get up to pee at night, you don't know if an illegal alien or border patrol on horseback can see your tush. The nice thing about this particular camp site (FAR north of Interstate 8) was we didn't have to worry about someone cruising too close to our camp, or waking up to find foot prints less than 50 yards from where we slept. Border Wars ain't no joke around here!! But now we have kids - so no more wild camping adventures.

Speaking of kids...they woke up at their normal time - 6:30am. We made oatmeal with Nutella (yum), drank coffee by the fire (yum again), feasted on eggs, ham, and hash browns (roughing it), and then collectively, Rocky and I decided we are too old, and therefore too cold, and decided one night was enough.

So after breakfast, we started packing up. And our 1st camping trip was over by 11:00am, just in time for the desert sun to start heating up. Here's some pictures from our trip: