Nature Week: Backyard Campout

Well, let's just say it was SUPPOSED to be a backyard campout, but since it's SUPER hot here in Florida ... we moved the campout part inside! The kids and I had a busy day on Friday, and I've had neck problems all week, so I actually wasn't even sure we'd be able to pull this one together. But, when we got home on Friday at around 4:30, we got to work, and had quite a surprise in store for Dennis when he got home. We wanted to start Father's Day weekend off right! Abby made the sign, which we hung out by the garage door keypad. Dennis later said his heart skipped a beat when he thought he was being asked to spend the night outdoors in 100 degree temps! We prepared hot dogs (2nd time this week ... not usual, but hey! it's Nature Week) and mixed up some blueberry lemonade, then Tyler and I made "Ants on a Log." He was so diligent about it ...

Then we pitched the tent in the living room, and the kids gathered all of their teddy bears to make our campsite authentic. We thought a little dinner by the lake/pond would be fun, so we sat on picnic blankets around the blue rug from our playroom. After dinner, we headed outside to make the fire (thanks Bevis family for letting us borrow your firepit!) I love this shot of Dennis (he's such a smart*@&!) ... YES, I know most people don't have fires in triple digit temperatures! But, wouldn't it have been worse to have a fire in the fireplace in June? Our neighbors might have talked about us (like they don't anyway!)Funny! The marshmallows were melting off the sticks faster than we could roast them ... ... but they sure were yummy!Okay ... I admit it! It was SUPER hot out, so we took pity on the kids and let them run through the sprinklers. You could call this the "au natural" part of Nature Week!Nice Dennis! Hiding behind the three-year old!We hit the bath, then the sack! Before bed (we had to wait until it was dark), we played a game of "Flashlight Find." I read about this one in Family Fun magazine. Each child chose five stuffed animals (you can use any toy), then Dennis and I hid them in certain rooms of the house. It was to have been in the backyard, but we were DONE with that! The kids used the flashlights they got in their "Welcome to Summer" buckets, and shined them around the room to find their stuffed animals. Such fun. While it was a bit difficult to get the kids to fall asleep (Dennis had to lie between them at first), both kids slept all night in the tent without getting out! Today, we returned the campsite back into a living room, and Nature Week came to a close. Awwww ... bummer! Well, I do have one more nature-ish food craft up my sleeve. We'll get to it sometime this weekend amid Father's Day fun and plans for "Our Staycation!"