Koen's Camping Trip

Koen's school has a unique tradition in that they send the k-5th graders away for a night on a camping trip at the end of the school year.  Most kids have a parent attend and at Koen's age it is highly recommend.  We are still getting used to the idea, so we (well, I mean Doug) will be attending for years to come.  Koen looks forward to this trip so much.  Although Doug wasn't super psyched about sleeping in a cabin full of smelly, energetic kids (and snoring dads), he was looking forward to sharing this experience with Koen.  They set out on Thursday morning with sleeping bags, pillows, extra socks, extra shoes and other necessary supplies and a big sack lunch.  Since I just stay home with the little guys, I only get the perspective of the texts I receive (which are mostly a comical, somewhat sarcastic run-down of what's really happening).  Here are the pictures I received to accompany some of those snapshots of the trip...

One of Koen (and Doug)'s favorite parts of the trip was the creek & woods walk on Thursday afternoon.  Koen loved splashing around and exploring along the way.  

 

Doug and another dad and this camp staff person caught a baby rat snake for the kids to see.

That's all the pics I got, but I also found out that they had lots more fun doing crafts, being outside, making s'mores over a huge campfire, better meals than last year (they switched camps) and (more of a negative here) an uninsulated, no windows cabin which was at a chilly 45 degrees when they awoke on Friday.  The night's sleep went well for Koen, but unfortunately not so much for Doug who heard several kids wake up with nightmares and lots of loud snorers.  The tough night's rest for Doug was worth it though (I think he would say) to let Koen be a part of this bonding experience with his peers and his school community as well as with his dad.  Thanks, Douglas!  Koen will thank you some day too I'm sure. =)