River the Explorer

"Daddy.  Can we go camping like Dora?"

"What?"

"I want us to go camping like Dora.  We can eat popcorn and candy and marshmallows and we can sleep wrapped up in big blankets with our toes sticking out!  That sounds like fun doesn't it?"

"Well.. it does sound like fun but I don't think your mommy would like sleeping outside very much.  She doesn't like being that close to spiders."

"We need a tent.  Dora has a tent.  A blue tent.  We need to get a blue tent and then we can leave the spiders outside.  I won't let them in and then mommy will have fun!"       


So, a few days later, I took River's request to the Mommy Lady and was shocked that she was all for it.  Later that same day we purchased..

A BLUE TENT!!!!

We waited for River to take her mid-day nap and then snuck outside to put it up.  We also picked up some popcorn, candy and marshmallows. 

When she woke up.. wow..  



TOTALLY SURPRISED!!


River helped line the tent with big fluffy blankets.  We put batteries in the new flashlight, charged up the portable dvd player and, after dark, popped the popcorn and lit the citronella lantern.  

We started out strong.  Plenty of snacks.. Toy Story spinning in the dvd player.  River was all smiles sitting between us and chomping away on popcorn.  She didn't seem to notice that it was 9:30pm and still in the mid 80's with no breeze at all. 

But Jo and I noticed.  What were we thinking?  The tent had the same effect on Jo and I as one of those giant plastic cooking bags that you use to cook a chicken or a pot roast. We were ill prepared to say the least.

We managed to make it to 3am.  River was snoozing happily and I had finally dozed off in what can only be described as a heat-induced mini-coma.  I dreamt of tumble weeds and laughing cacti.  I think I seem to recall a flaming clown chasing me with a blow torch.  My tortured sleep was interrupted by a crazy-haired, sweaty Jo saying, "ENOUGH! Let's go inside. I can't take this anymore" and so we made the long journey of 4 feet to the front door and spent the rest of the night indoors.  Ahhhh, wonderful chilly cold air conditioning.  Up yours, Dora! I discovered the next day, while taking the tent down, that besides the same conditions I was attempting to endure, Jo was also sleeping atop a sizable pile of hardened deer droppings.  What a trooper.  That couldn't have been comfortable. 

River didn't seem to mind waking up in the house.  She still had a blast and looks forward to doing it again.  The next time we will wait for cooler weather and we will have an air mattress.