I took most of the summer off work to spend time with my girls. After missing them so many evenings with my crazy work schedule I was relishing the idea of quality time with them. Crazy right? Maybe a little. I bought a pop up camper last fall and couldn’t wait to spend time exploring the great outdoors with them.
Our first outing last fall before it got cold went great. The girls loved it. They played in the camper, we cooked out, and the dog kept a watchful eye on all three of us. This was going to be great.
Fast forward through the long cold winter…
School ended on May 29 and we left for our first camping trip of the year the following day. The girls and two dogs sat in back for the 3 hour ride to Echo Bluffs State Park in southern Missouri. My boyfriend sat beside me in the front keeping me company and napping occasionally. We were all set.
We arrived just before 8 pm because of poor planning and traffic. But we made it. I set up part of the camper then started the fire for dinner. We had an excited dinner and an easy bedtime. Everything looked like it was going to be a great trip.
The next morning was a whole other story. At breakfast my oldest let out a scream the instant she saw a… wait for it, butterfly. I wish I was kidding but I’m not. The little one freaked out about anything that flew thinking they were bees or wasps. Both of them wanted to hide in the camper. Nope not going to happen.
We made the two of them get their swim suits on, grabbed the fishing poles and headed for the creak with one of the dogs in tow. The creek wasn’t much better. There was still the freak out about bugs but not fish at least.
Now though the little one decided to complain about walking. When she wasn’t complaining she walked so slow she might as well have been standing still. Then there were the multiple hooks I almost received to various parts of my body due to careless flicks of the fishing rod. At least the dog loved the water. Sigh…
Maybe a rafting trip the next day would help. Hahaha nope. It was hot, it was cold, why did they have to pee in the river? Worst of all are we there yet? That was it I was done. They weren’t ready to camp.
I had to admit defeat. I went home and listed the camper for sale the next day. The whole ordeal was more than disappointing. I was angry as well. I couldn’t understand how the girls could be afraid of cute insects like butterflies or how they couldn’t get their act together so we could enjoy doing something fun as a family. I had to remind myself they are only little girls. They are also their own people. They may never enjoy or even like the same things I do. I have to focus on what we do have in common and relish the time we have together.
This summer we’ll go to Six Flags, ride our bikes and play in the pool instead. When they are a few years older we will try tent camping in the yard before I decide to get another pop up. If they still don’t like it we can figure out somethings else to do together. All that is important is spending time together with those I love most.
R. Tran Books 