messy marshmallows and bumpy beds

We had the pleasure last week of hosting some travelers from the frozen tundra.  They have a whole mess of snow and ice right now so a little sunshine was in order.  My mom, sister and sister-in-law flew in.  We also were lucky enough to receive a visit from another sister-in-law whom hadn’t met yet.  She flew in all the way from California. 

We decided to do a little camping.  Although there's still some debate whether or not this really qualified as camping since no real tent was involved. 
But, I’m pretty sure it felt like camping and looked like camping and tasted like camping.
 
We had a limited supply of clothing like you do when you camp.  We may not have packed them in our hiking backpacks, but reusable Fresh Market shopping bags are close enough I think.


We had to travel to get water just like camping.  It may not have been fresh from a mountain stream and maybe we only had to travel about 30 feet, but I did make at least 2 or 3 trips each day.
 
We had no real schedule just like camping.  A few lucky ones got to sneak in a nap.  For the record, I wasn't one of these lucky ones.
 
We spent lots of time with family just like camping.  We all got to know each other a little better.  Evie was a hit.  She has a wonderful Super Nanny accent which gave her instant authority with the boys. 
 
We had a campsite with a humble temporary home just like camping… sort of.  Maybe not the classic tent, but nonetheless bumpy beds and humid and uncomfortable. 


We even had firewood just like camping.  We did pay about $8.00 a bundle.   This seemed like a foreign concept to the Up North Folks, but this is FL.  I don’t think you can just cut up a palm tree and burn it the way you can an oak or maple up North.
 
We sustained actual camping injuries.  Blisters and bug bites and sunburns.  Old trusty served us well once again.  Each time I would put it away, my nephew would squeal “anti itch, anti itch”  so the kit lay open on the picnic table for most of our trip just waiting for the next injury.
 
We had campfires just like real camping.  Even though we had to pay $10 per day to rent it.  It is possible that real campsites come with fire rings, but we made this work.  We had S’mores and let the boys play in the fire.  Well not really in the fire, but at least let them burn paper plates and napkins and sticks and probably a lot of other things when I wasn’t looking. 

I had actual gross dirty camping feet.  Blistered and unpedicured and filthy, I think this qualifies.

The boys spent plenty of time being goofy just like camping everyday.  They ran in a pack and laughed and bickered and schemed and got dirty just like camping.


We had to provide our own bedding just like camping.  Even if it was a Thomas the Train comforter and not an actual sleeping bag I think it still counts.  To make it more like realistic camping uncomfortable our cabin shared only two pillows.  That’s three family members per pillow.
 
We all had chores just like real camping.  We took turns holding down the porch swings.  Napping and texting and fighting and cuddling, these swings were very popular.
 
So although our accommodations may have been a little plush and I was reminded on more than one occasion that none of my camping equipment was actual camping equipment and it wasn’t an actual State Park (very popular in my family)

I still think we...

CAMPED!
 

We came home with dirt under our fingernails and pink from sunburn and with sore backs from the hard beds and full of fun camping memories. 

I think it’s official, we’re CAMPERS.