Birthday camping!

And then again, first weekend of August, it was Paul's birthday. Paul is impossible to shop for. He just doesn't want stuff.

But, he really does like time with friends, and he really does like camping. So camping we went.

the cast:
Paul (birthday boy)
Me (bad idea generator)
Jennifer (my sweet, enthusiastic, always-fun sister)
Daniel (Paul's best man)
Amy (who gamely took a 3-year old on his first camping trip whilst pregnant, and without the help of her husband for the first half of the weekend)
Quinn (3 year old, not quite potty-trained)
Jesse (who showed up late Saturday night after work, bringing Paul handmade sausage and Amy some respite, and also bringing...
Lola! (the wonder dog)

It was a fantastic weekend. The script went something like this:

Me: ok, here we are. We have three sites, which is way more than we need. Most of our stuff is in Jennifer's car, and she's not here yet, so we can't pitch our tent. Pretty much all we can do is... drink this wine I brought!

From 2009.08.01 Camping in Portola Redwoods

Paul: OK, I can live with that. glug glug glug. OK, no more wine, now what?
(enter Amy and Quinn)
All: yay!
Quinn: These bathrooms are scary.
Amy: that's ok, you can just pee on the tree!
Quinn: (loves it)
(enter Jennifer and Daniel-- can't remember who came first)
All: glug, glug, glug
Quinn: The kids' campfire ranger thing was way lame.
Paul: "Bats eat bugs, they don't eat people"
Quinn: Mom, can I go home and watch Teevee?
(FIRE!!!)
Quinn: "We're going on a bear hunt! I'm not afraid!" (repeated ad nauseum)
All: zzz zzz zzz
(end act 1)

Act 2
All: ok, let's go for a hike!
Quinn: boring!
Paul: Quinn, there are BEARS on the trail! Let's go find them.
Quinn: ok, first I gotta make my poor sainted mom change my diaper trailside.
Amy: I'm so awesome and unflappable, this does not even phase me.
(every time Quinn gets tired and slows down...
Paul/Rebecca/Amy: Quinn! I just saw the bear! It is just around the corner up there on the trail! Did you see it??!?!
(Finally, Quinn is too tired, and makes his pregnant mom carry him up the steepest parts of the hike)
Daniel: ok, hike is over, I'm taking a nap
Boy camping next to us: Hey, Quinn, let's play with the ball
Quinn: yay! (then proceeds to fail at playing WITH the boy by running off with the ball every chance he gets)
Boy: I am so patient and unflappable, this does not phase me. (continues playing with Quinn)
Amy: Dinner time!
Quinn: I'm going to pour salt in Rebecca's wine.
Rebecca: OMG, he really did just pour salt in my wine.
Daniel: (to Rebecca) I am the awesomest friend ever, and brought a cheesecake and candles.
Amy, Quinn, Daniel, Jennifer, and Me: Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Paul, Happy Birthday to you!
Paul: OMG, this is so great. Nom, Nom, Nom. I am totally stuffed.
(enter Jesse and Lola)
Jesse: I totally drove around getting lost in the dark, but now I am here, and I brought beer and homemade sausage for Paul
Paul: (already stuffed and drunk) glug glug glug, nom nom nom.
Lola: ball, ball ball, BARK! stick, stick, stick BARK!
All: zzz zzz zzz
(end act 2)

Act 3
Paul: ouch. With the loud noises, and the bright lights!
Rebecca: Let's go for a short hike before we go.
All: Yay!
Quinn: Mommy, can I go home and watch TeeVee!??
Lola: Stick, stick, stick. Why don't you throw the stick and I'll chase it? BARK!
Daniel: Screw you guys, I'm going home.
All: Let's go to Santa Cruz and have beer, I mean, Lunch.
All: Beer was nice, now to the beach!
Lola: Stick, stick, stick. BARK!
All: ok, everyone go home!
(all exit stage)

Act 4
two weeks later, at Rebecca's birthday
Amy: Yeah, so apparently the peeing in the woods thing wasn't a good idea. The next day, his daycare teacher was like "what the hell happened to his potty training??" ... oops.




It was fantastic.
You would think tht I would have pictures of us l camping and hiking and whatnot, but you would be wrong.