This past Saturday the boys and I attended Thunder in the Valley with our fife and drum corp and friends. On the way there, Pierce became so confused because we were not camping, like we had for all of the previous musters of the season. I did the mommy thing of explaining that it was too cold outside for us to camp this year, but maybe next year we can camp. And of course in complete toddler and preschooler logic they said we would just wear more coats. And yet again, I am outsmarted by my children.
Well, yesterday I decided the wind was calm enough and the air was dry enough to start an outside fire. Not only would it give the boys a place to warm up while they played (it became really cold all of a sudden), but there is nothing like the smell of a campfire. Both boys helped me build the big fire, and they LOVED it. Carter had me set up his turtle tent outside with his sleeping bag, and he laid in the tent and just watched the fire. Pierce realized that leaves burn REALLY well, so he went through our yard, and the neighbor's yard, collecting leaves to throw on the fire. As darkness approached, I started picking up the outside toys and announced it was time to go in. Both boys voiced their opposition to going inside; as I expected they would. Carter started crying saying he wanted camp, and Pierce explained that if we have a campfire we have to camp. Knowing there was a frost warning, I created a plan. Let's camp in the basement!
Originally I was not going to set up a tent, since the one we normally use is 17' x 10' with additional space for clothes storage. And then I remembered that I still had the small Coleman that fits 3 people. With the boys helping me, we set the tent up in no time, and even put their foam flooring in there to give us somewhat of a barrier from the concrete floor. They put their sleeping bags inside, and were ready for their night time adventure. I have not had the boys eat dinner so quickly, or take such a quick bath, in a long time. Dan and I expected them to have a hard time falling asleep, but they fell asleep so quickly!
They loved their special treat. This morning when they woke up, they pretended there were bears outside the tent, and that the dog was there to protect them and chase them away (oh yes, we ended up with the dog AND cat inside the 3 person tent with us last night). They spent a good half hour this morning singing songs and just LOVING the fact that they woke up in the tent. The boys also commented on how they loved the orange rope lights that I had strung up on the ceiling too (served as a nightlight for them).
Tonight they were quite sad when I put away the tent. They assumed that they would be sleeping in there every night. And while I would love to let them have a camping experience every night, my back will not tolerate sleeping on the floor. :) However, it did remind me to build forts more often. If they loved the tent, why would they not love a fort where they can hang out on the inside and watch a special movie? Or read a book? Or make it a house for their dolls? This one night has spurred so many ideas in my mind. The best part? We don't even have to move any furniture around to make a fort; somebody gave the boys a fort making kit for Pierce's birthday. We used it a ton during the spring, but it honestly has sat in the box for most of the summer (mostly because we were never home).
So, now I am asking advice from you guys. What are your favorite types of forts to make? What activities do you do inside the fort? Or do you just keep them open and let the kids decide? Have a great night!
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