Summertime Blues

I’m taking my daughter camping next week for 5 days. Well, that’s the plan, anyway. The reality will probably be more like 3 days, 4 at the most. Still, it should be a lot of fun, because in my mind, I’m imaging perfect weather, perfect preparation, perfect neighbours in the campground, and perfect behaviour from R. Hahahahaha. You’d think I’d know by now.

My reality will likely be something like this:
• Leave the house 1.5 hours later than planned.
• Arrive at campground after dark
• Set up tent in dark with tired, whiny child clinging to my legs.
• Lie in tent awake at midnight listening to Metallica coming two sites away (yes, that will be Mark and Howie, and I know we’re there with them, but I don’t really want to HEAR them after 10pm)
• Lie in tent awake at 3:00 am as it rains through a hole in the roof that the mice chewed through while the tent sat unused in my basement for the last 4 years.
• Rain all the next day – site becomes a mud bath. Kids love it. Moms go slowly crazy....
• No campfire as impossible to start in the pouring rain. Make S’Mores over the propane stove in the Kitchen tent (I love site sharing with well-equipped people!)
• More Metallica
• More rain
• More gas-tasting S’mores
• Decide to leave as the weather forecast advises us to start building an ark
• Pack up wet everything, stuff in the trunk
• Have the defrost on the whole way home because the humidity from said wet stuff in the trunk keeps my windows fogged up the whole way
• Pull into the driveway as the sun breaks through the crowds.

Ah, summer. You’re a bitch, but I love you anyway.