In Case You Were Wondering Whether the Boys are Old Enough to Go Camping...

The answer would be "no."

I'll post after-effects pictures a little later, but suffice it to say that it was an unmitigated disaster. Imagine, if you will, the picture that Laura and I had in our minds as we joyously planned this little getaway in Leadville.

A beautiful drive to a secluded camp ground. Steve and Laura effortlessly erecting the tent while Atlas rests near the boys playing happily in the dirt near the campfire site. Afterwards, cooking a delicious meal using our newly-purchased portable camping stove and enjoying the sounds of nature as we happily eat our dinner. After dinner, relaxing in the foldable camping chairs sipping a glass of wine... Atlas at my feet, my lovely wife across from me gazing adoringly at the cherubic little faces of our angelic children playing a few feet away.

It paints a lovely picture, doesn't it?

Well, the reality is just a tad less idyllic. Laura and later agreed that without the dog, the kids and the mosquitoes, we probably would have had a grand time. Instead, we had to coat everyone down with tons of mosquito repellent because the skeeters were as thick as flies on a cow carcass that's being lying around for a week.

We also had to sleep with the boys in our sleeping bags, because it was in the mid thirties that night. They don't like to go to sleep when there are lots of fun ways to annoy the heck out of Mommy and Daddy. And when they DO sleep, they have to do so in a position that takes up as much horizontal space as possible so you're at the very edge of the sleeping bag. And don't forget that you get to act as the pillow, so you can't switch positions if you get uncomfortable.

Atlas woke up every few minutes to shake himself out because he was freezing, not to mention getting up a couple of times to use the bathroom. And then, of course, they were up and at it again just before 6:00 in the morning.

All-in-all, we probably got about three hours of sleep that night. Thankfully, we were up w-a-a-a-a-y before our neighbors, and were packed up and gone by 7:30. So, we didn't have to endure any evil glares or comments from the other people around us who were undoubtedly annoyed with the noise coming from our tent all night.

I think maybe we'll wait another year or so before trying that again.