Camping in

So on Wednesday Jack told us he wanted to go to school on Friday (he normally doesn't), because they were going to pretend to go camping in his classroom, with tents and a fire and everything. So I said, well, we can do that stuff at home. And so we did.

Emily and I came up with a plan, which meant digging out our old tents and sleeping bags and stuff, and I aired them out in the backyard on Thursday. Then Thursday night, I had Jack write down a list of stuff he wanted to do (see picture). And when I put him to bed, I said, tomorrow we'll go camping.

So Thursday night Emily and I set up the tent in the living room, which only took a couple of tries, and we set out the sleeping bags, and the battery-operated lantern. And the little camping pillows, one of which has an alien pattern and the other has bugs all over it (the pattern, not actual bugs).

Friday morning, we all came downstairs. It was kind of like Christmas morning. Jack got on into the tent and into a sleeping bag, saying, "Now I'm going to sleep," a course of action Emily and I wish he'd employed in his own bed for another half hour or so at least. Kate also got into the tent, although she had no idea what to make of anything. Jack loved his little alien pillow and wants to keep it even when not camping. Of course.

Jack made a little candle out of blue and orange construction paper, which he called a fire.

We got the blue comforter off his bed which became the pond, and I made fishing rods out of drumsticks, string, and plastic hooks for vegetables from his play store. We caught fish: a bath toy and his "Bridgeport Bluefish" mascot.

We hiked around the living room. Twice.

We ate cereal out of the camping dishes. Jack wanted to sit in the tent for this, but we had to draw the line somewhere.

We "napped" in the tent.

He and Kate went in, Jack zipped it up, and they bounced around and pretend fell against the wall and said "OUch!" I was outside the tent and couldn't see, and I heard a thud, and was going to be worried, but then came peals of laughter. Another thud. Another "OUch!" More laughter.

Jack turned the lantern on and off, on and off, over and over again.