When we got to the site, the kids each had their assigned duties: one started the fire while the other two helped set up the tent, sleeping bags and kitchen area. When were were all done my son sat back, took a deep breath, sighed and said, "Now we're camping - ahhhh." I was so proud of how they all chipped in to do the jobs we talked about ahead of time. My daughter got a lesson in lighting the backpack camp stove to cook Ramen and Spaghettios (yes, real healthy, I know). And of course they all had their headlamps on that lit up the campsite. I loved it.
Another thing I did was prepare a special pack for each kid to be in charge of. My son had the survival pack with waterproof matches, dry tinder, small rope, and a knife. My oldest daughter had the first aid kit with all the important stuff, like sunscreen, band aids and bug spray. My younger daughter had the treat bag, which was full of candy for everybody. But she only gave it out as rewards after our long hikes up to the camp site. Another thing that was very important to bring was thermal mats for all of us to lay on. They help to keep your body insulated from the ground and they soften it up a little, too. We had some cold nights and those mats were very nice to have.All in all, it was a great time and I am so blessed to have been able to to do this trip. I cant wait to go again!
::: On a side note, we had a nasty storm blow through here the other night which caused the power to go out for a while. Immediately, the kids bounced into action and got their headlights out. They put them on and lit up the house just like they did at the camp site. They knew just what to do!
