Our Last Camping Trip of 2010

For our last camping trip of the season, we met up with the Humes Family in Giant City State Park. It is a large park in Southern Illinois. It has several wonderful hiking trails, and it is a quick two hour ride from home. The weather was amazing. It was quite warm, and we even managed to dodge the rain.

The longer of our two hikes came first. It was the Giant City Nature Trail. It is the home of Fat Man's Squeeze. A crack in the cliff's, that when open you are permitted to squeeze through to the other side. Luckily, the snakes also love Fat Man's Squeeze, and it was closed to allow them to hibernate. So happily, we were not forced to squeeze through a crevice just wide enough for our bodies....

The kids loved all the climbing and jumping. Even the little ones managed to make it through the majority of the trail.




At the campground, while looking for firewood. Wade and the kids found a downed cedar tree. The kids proceeded to open up a business roadside, and sell Cedar Wood for $.50 a piece.
Trail Number 2, the Stonefort was a little much for our group. It was decently rugged, but it ended up being a cliff walk. For the safety of the little ones, we cut it short. Here is a picture of the Stonefort. I was a little bit disappointed in the Stonefort. It reminded me more of the stone fences that are so popular in Ireland.

Here's a link to a stone wall in Sweden. Tell me you don't see the resemblance?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:P7220136.JPG

Soccer Fall 2010 - Complete!

So, after last weekend, we are officially the owners of some free time. Soccer is finished for the Fall season. All we have on our plates, is dance one night a week. It is a much needed break from the demanding soccer schedule.

I Love Funny Stories...

My kiddos are constantly saying things that make me giggle. Sometimes, they even say things that are so funny that I can remember them years down the road. Unfortunately, most of those giggle moments are lost with the sands of time. So I like to share them on the blog, that way I can share them with you, and at the same time make a record of a sweet time in their childhood.

So we had two such moments today. The first, happened as I was talking to my Sister in Law, Megan. We were discussing possibly seeing a movie with the kiddos. Rylan immediatley called Connor as the person occupying the seat next to him. Of course, Noah had to chime in with his seat request for his older cousin, Colin. Sofie, not wanting to be out done, said "Camden has to sit next to me. Because he's my Best Buddy!" Awe...

And then for a genuinely funny, out of the mouth of babes, comment. Rylan is being tested on several things right now in kindergarten. He is expected to know his full name, address, phone number and birthday. In the process of teaching Ry, we have been trying to teach Sofie. My Mom first asked her name. Her response, "Co-qia Trapt" Not exactly the name Wade and I picked out at the hospital, but we knew what she meant. Then the hard one, "Sofia, when were you born?" To which Sofie answered, "When I was a baby..."

Guess Who's Back?

So, flash back Christmas morning 2009. It's six thirty a.m. The Crazies are chomping at the bit to get downstairs to open gifts. Wade and I, still exhausted from a late night of assembling and wrapping gifts, lead the way down the stairs. And what's the first thing I see.... Who's still sitting on the shelf in the living room as the kids come down stairs to open presents. Elfie! Elfie who should have returned to the North Pole with Santa because his paying gig was up for the year... Oh Elfie, why can't I remember you?

Needless to say I quickly stuffed Elfie out of sight, and carried him upstairs. I hid him immediately in an old handbag in my closet. It was a great hiding spot. So good, I forgot all about moving him into his box in the attic.

Fast forward to yesterday morning... I have all my bags strewn about the floor. I am extremely sick of my current bag, but not yet mentally prepared to spend the big bucks on a suitable new bag. So I am pulling out an oldie but a goodie... Sofie is helping me... And out of her third selection she pulls Elfie.

Rylan immediately laughs with delight. Rylan loves Elfie. Ry looked right at me, and said "Mom look Elfie is back early this year, and his first spot was the inside of your purse!" Thinking quickly on my feet, I told the kiddos that Santa must have sent Elfie early this year because of all the fighting going on at our house.

I already forgot to move him last night, here's crossing my fingers that I can remember tonight!

Visitors

On Monday, the Trapp Family had a few very important visitors. Our first guest was, Wade's Godmother, Linda. It was the first time that the Crazies and I had met her. The kids loved her! Rylan even ate his desert sitting in her lap. It was wonderful to finally meet her after almost ten years. The rest of the group consisted of Grandma Fran, who the kids were so excited to see. Aunt Heather, Cousin Zoe, Aunt Sherry, Uncle Den, Nate, Blanca and Munja (Nate and Blanca's Minature Pinscher). It was a perfect evening with family and friends.

Wade and Linda
Linda and Fran
Zoe and RylanNoah and Sofie check out Sofie's birthday gifts...
Sofie in her birthday beret!

Pine Lakes 2010

This past weekend, we went to Pine Lakes Campground. It was our second trip to this campground for their Halloween Festival. Last year, Sarah and I stumbled upon the campground while trying to find somewhere close to Lincoln's New Salem to RV camp. Turns out it's really close to New Salem, IL (the city), and not as close to Lincoln's New Salem. Who knew? Anyway, the kiddos had such a great time last year, we all agreed to come back. Wade and I and the Crazies arrived on Friday night. It's a long drive, through dozens of tiny farm towns. Some of them very interesting, like Carrolton IL. Carrolton's town square looks just like the one in Back to the Future. And the town itself, is loaded with huge old Victorian homes. Beautiful. Unfortunately, the rest of the drive just makes me sleepy. The Humes family arrived after the kiddos and I had turned in for the evening. It's hard to stay awake past eight thirty when it's dark outside.

On Saturday, we had a packed schedule. A schedule is out of the norm for camping. That is the beauty of camping. Camping should be based on the right now. Right now, I feel like reading a book. Right now, I feel like taking a break from my book, so that I can take the kids swimming, so I can go back to reading my book in peace. That's why we LOVE camping. But for Pine Lakes Halloween Festival, the schedule really works. So we go with it. And we enjoy being bossed around all day.

10am - We herd all seven kiddos to pumpkin picking. The camp staff handed out tickets to every child. Then we hiked the short distance to the "Pumpkin Patch". The pumkin patch is a beautiful grassy area in the woods. The camp staff had already spread out kiddo size pumpkins all over the grass. Then one by one, they drew a ticket out of the bucket, and when your ticket was called, you were allowed to choose a pumpkin to take home.



After pumpkin picking, Sarah and I were the Camp Counselors. With swimming being out of the question, we resorted to crafts. Namely, decorating pumpkins. The kiddos loved it. And since we were outside on picnic tables, clean-up was a breeze.
Rylan painted his coat, as well as his pumpkin.Sarah brought all of the kids funny lip suckers. Here's Noah and Rylan's new kissers...
2p.m. - Costumes Please.... At 2p.m. the costume contests begin. All the kiddos looked very cute. Emilie even won a prize for her Hermoine Granger (Harry Potter Character) costume. Go Emilie! Even Sydney dressed up...
Claire (Katie Bell - Harry Potter), Noah (US Soldier), Elise (Sleeping Beauty), Sofie (Frog), Rylan (Cop), Chloe (Kitty Cat) and Costume Contest Winner Emilie (Hermoine Granger - Harry Potter)
Sydney the Unicorn

3:30p.m. - RV Trick or Treat After the costume contest winds down, the trick or treating begins. I think this is the kids favorite part of the entire trip. We trick or treated the entire campground. It was a beautiful walk. And the kids were loaded down with candy and toys.

6p.m. Haunted House The campground builds a Haunted House every year. Last year, I expected it to be a cheezy haunted house, geared more towards the little ones. However, it is a really impressive haunted House. Smaller than the 20 dollar version so popular in St. Louis, but just as authentic. We take the crazies through the lights on version, but I would definitely think the lights out version would be scary. Noah and Claire were big talkers about going back through after dark, but both had changed their minds by the time 7:30 rolled around.

By the last activity of the evening, the huge bonfire referred to as "The Burning of the Witch's House", the kids were fast asleep in their beds... Gotta love it!

On Sunday, we made our way to Hannibal Missouri. Our destination, Mark Twain Cave. The cave was really neat. More labyrinth, than Meramec Caverns and less showy. But still amazing! They even had a spot to pan for gems. We let the kids each get a bag of dirt, and set them to it. It took them all of five minutes. And somebody forgot to ensure that all of the bags had the same number of gems in each bag. I would have paid twice as much, just to have it all turned out even in the end. "Sofia got all the fossils!" "Noah got all the purple rocks!" "Rylan got more rocks than me!"... Even with all the drama, it was fun.

Elise and Rylan as Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer...
Chloe and Sofie as Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer...
Mark Twain Cave - Sofie, Emilie, Chloe, Claire, Noah, Elise and Rylan
Chloe, Emilie, Sofie, Elise, Claire, Noah and Rylan


Can you pout and complain in the mist of all of the fun? Of course you can...