Campfire Weekend

Our annual Campfire is over. I think everyone had a good time. We had lower numbers this year. The weather may have played a part in that. Also the post office taking 3 WEEKS! to deliver the invitations probably didn't help matters either.

Just to make it interesting, for me anyway, the gas grill decided that it wasn't going to light. So Mr. Johnson and my parents helped us to build a grill over our campfire and we cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs "au naturel"! (the food was naked not us!! Check the second definition: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/au%20naturel !!)

We all made new friends with Ann and Abby. Ann and her family has just moved to Connecticut from Michigan. Her daughter Abby is 12 years old and the only girl in her famliy. Ann had heard, through the homeschool grapevine, about our family of girls. She and Abby arrived at our campfire and Abby was quickly incorporated into the huddle of girls planning water balloon attacks. I saw a flurry of telephone number exchanges just before they left, so I know some new connections have been made.

Speaking of water balloons, everyone enjoyed playing games with them. We only had one adult get hit, despite our rules about the circle of chairs around the fire being off limits. In Samara's defense it bounced off of Abby before it hit Mrs. Yeo!

We were able to stay outside around the fire until nearly 9 o'clock. Then the lightning and thunder told us the rain was coming. Since I had planned on an indoor party, everything inside was already set up, so we just moved everyone indoors.

There were only 5 children (in addition to my five) who slept overnight; 9 girls and one boy. I think everyone was alseep by 11PM; the boy upstairs and all the girls downstairs. At 6AM everyone was up and starting to get the animal chores done. I began making a mountain of pancakes, sausage, english muffins, orange juice, and fruit.

At 10 o'clock we packed everyone in the van and drove to my mom's for swimming in her big pool. The kids also played fooseball, air hockey, and created a pool tournament. At lunchtime they took a break for meatball grinders, watermelon, and chips. Then it was back in the pool for another hour and half! Matt caught a huge bull frog that screamed at him while he carried it to a place beyond Toto's (my mom's dog that likes to kill frogs) electric fence. I spent the day poolside, counting 10 heads every five minutes.

We arrived back home around 4PM, just in time for animal chores again. Once all the children were retrieved by their parents and all the animals were fed, watered and milked, we headed over to the Rodgers' house for another picnic! We brought our fireworks that we couldn't set off at the Campfire, and Sam entertained the kids with them once it got dark.

Once we arrived back home, everyone went to bed, without a single argument. Up late, up early, running constantly, swimming for 3 hours, and more running, wears a kid out! Today should be a nice quiet day...