Backyard Camping

Am I a glutton for punishment or what? A night off and I choose to spend it sleeping in the backyard with 4 of my nieces, on the ground I might add... Of course in a tent - lent to me by my sister at the last moment because my tent poles went missing (thank you Jen!) We would have had some seriously disappointed girls!

It was the last day of their winter break from school. Since it would be another mild winter night Florida style, we decided to build a small campfire in the backyard (no, I didn't get a permit - bad aunt...) roast hot dogs and marshmellows, eat a few smores and sleep outside in the tent. Since it was just "the girls", Sal slept inside with Baby Girl. I figured he would be sleeping like a baby all night, so I snuck out the portable monitor just in case - he had a rough night too from the sounds of it!

We invited a few neighbor kids for the evening festivities. The dinner menu was hot dogs and potatoe chips. Sabrina decided to try "roasting" a potatoe chip over the campfire. She said it was delicious - but I declined to try it. Next came the marshmellows! So much fun! So much sticky mess! We saved the smores till the neighbor kids went home, as our graham crackers were in short supply. Even grandma got in on the fun - check out that "dainty" photo of her eating her smores! I couldn't help myself!

Around 10:30, the stories were all told and the giggles all out. I had 4 very sleepy little girls in my tent. It took less than 10 minutes for them all to drift off to la la land. Since we were roughing it in sleeping bags - I was a little stiff the next morning. But it was a great night ~ the kind that memories are made of. Try it next time you get the chance. A night of fun and "camping out" is as close as your backyard!