Camping Tales

We camped this past weekend with some of Tim's family and had a great time. The weather was good, fireworks were fun and plenty of good food. Nothing like being surrounded by horses to make you feel like you're getting away from it all.

One cousin, of some sort of Tim's, had cancer in his arm and had it amputated just below the elbow a long time ago. Our boys don't seem him often so Noah was full of questions about his arm. Tim's cousin was trying to explain that his arm had gotten really, really sick. He asked Noah if he'd ever been sick, and then said it was like that but worse.

Noah looks at him and says, "I've been sick but I still have two arms!" As he's saying this he's standing there and then shoots both of his arms way up over his head to show he has two arms. We all just cracked up, Tim's cousin the loudest.

Later on one of the boys wanted to know how he could drive and drink pop at the same time with only one hand. Tim's cousin just laughed and said, "You learn how to do a lot of things when you have to." He's really great about talking to the kids about it, he's not the least bit uncomfortable at all-which is good since they are only asking to learn and understand.

We had smores, which the boys are throughly enjoying here. Eli took his apart to eat-first the chocolate, then the marshmallow and by that time Simon had stolen Eli's graham cracker and thought he was really getting away with something. Although, how Simon was covered in marshmallow goo by the time he was done eating the graham crakers when there were only traces left on the cracker when he got it, I have no idea.

The first night was a little rough to get everyone settled down to sleep-in tents. Eli & Noah started off in the Scooby Doo tent but halfway through the night Noah joined Tim and Simon and I in the big tent. The second night was much better. I think they were all more tired but whatever the case, we all slept better the second night.

And really only one "major" minor mishap. Sunday morning Tim & I were getting the food ready to put in the Dutch Ovens to cook for Sunday dinner and Simon climbed up on the picnic table-a skill he honed over the weekend.

I heard Simon scream and looked up to see him lose his balance and fall backwards/sideways off the bench and hit his head on the nearby camping chair. I can see that he spilled Tim's Dad's coffee on him which is why he screamed initially, so I ran and took him back to where I had been at the cooler and stuck his hand in the cooler (full of water from melted ice).

He would scream and pull his hand out only to realize that hurt worse and would stick it back in. I spashed water up his arm and down his leg since I wasn't sure where all the coffee went. Then I ripped off his outfit so it wouldn't be holding hot coffee next to his skin.

Tim asked if we should put "after sun" or something on it. I wasn't sure what the right thing to put on it was, and some things are really bad to put on burns so I said "I don't know. Go get your cousin and see what she says to do."

He went to their campsite nextdoor and got his cousin, who's a nurse, and she looked at Simon while he held on to Tim like he was afraid something else bad was going to happen if Tim put him down. She said it wasn't bad or it would have already started to blister so it was just a first degree burn, like a sunburn. She suggested putting neosporin or something similar on it so it wouldn't get infected in case it did blister. She had some of that with her so after Simon had calmed down with Tim holding him and me giving him his pacifier she coated his hand and arm with it.

I gave him some Tylenol and he got to have his pacifier the rest of the day (we were previously down to just at naptime with the sitter so he felt like he was getting away with something there).

Tim's cousin said Tim was very nonchalant and casual when he went over to get her. He said under-reacts because I over-react, but I didn't over react, I just reacted quickly. And when it comes to my babies I do react quickly and forcefully if necessary. They're my babies after all! I have to protect them.

Simon was clingy for a little while during the church service we went to shortly after that, but he did really well with his red little hand. He's a trooper! As the day wore on Simon got back to his normal self and we all continued to have a fun camping trip.

Tim's mom was really upset, but these things happen. No one did it on purpose, we weren't neglecting him, he wasn't being bad, it was just one of those things. I'm thankful that I already had the cooler open so I got his hand in the water right away and that Tim's cousin was there-not that she really did much but it was reassuring to know the burn wasn't that bad and we did the right things for him.

The next morning when I was changing him at home he did something with his hand and said, "Owie, owie" it was enough to break your heart with his cute little 17 month old voice. So I put more cream on and he took his other hand and rubbed it all in. And now, four days later, you have to really look to even see where it was. I'm thankful God created our bodies to heal themselves!