number 19: pretend camp

we've got one week left of summer

and there are a few things left on our bucket list

the other night we decided to tackle #19...set up the tent on the deck and pretend camp

J and I are not much for campers ourselves

not that we wouldn't enjoy it...i guess we've just never really tried

but we know lots of friends who love it and we're all about providing experiences for our littles, so we thought we should give it a whirl.....sort of

with us not being too familiar with the ins and outs of camping, we didn't want to go hog wild right off the bat and find ourselves over-zealous and under-prepared

so, we started close to home

real close

like, 3 feet from the door to our house ;)

J set up the tent and air mattress and after the girls were fed and bathed, we "ventured" out to the deck

our silly little pickles were crazy excited about this little 2-person tent that took up most of our small deck

 we started with stories

and when that lost its appeal, Tulip was quick to ask for the "si-ya" (slide), which J had put on the roof of the garage since there was no space for it on the deck

but how can you say "no" to those blue eyes?

so, J heaved it back over the railing and squeezed it in

it was worth the effort

these little munchkins thought it was heaps of fun to slide from the outside of the tent to the inside....simple joys, i guess

when Tulip's bed time drew near, we snuggled her in to the comfort of her crib and then stole back outside for more stories by flashlight

we were all having so much fun, no one wanted to go to sleep

but, finally, we did quiet down and listen to the song of the crickets and the cars passing by

it wasn't too long before Peach had drifted off and i scampered back inside for more blankets and another pair of socks

i only made it until midnight before heading to the comfort of my own bed....i know, i know:  party pooper!

but Peach and J slept peacefully until the 7:30 wake-up call of the birds

check out that face...she can't articulate it, but I know that smile is the one that says: 

"thank you for doing this glamour-less job of making memories with me"