Good song, good song.  Double points if you can name that artist.

It’s not really been too hot around here.  Not the kind of sweltering, energy sapping, kill-me-now heat that I am used to us having at the height of summer, but then summer really did just start, didn’t it?  Which is why it feels so not right that in 4 more weeks the older girls are headed back to school.  August 10 is the first day – just when summer is at it’s dog days best.  The pressure is on to soak up every bit of summer relaxation and enjoyment that we can before homework and early morning alarms rear their ugly heads again.  In that vein, this week we spent a few days camping at the almost local KOA.  My in laws pop-up camper has been conveniently parked in our driveway for a few months so we thought maybe the kids could use some fun time away from home, and the KOA has clean bathrooms and a nice pool.  Ordinarily I am not much for camping – at least not with little kids, since they tend to get every bit as dirty and sticky as possible and stay that way. We had pretty decent accommodations, however, so it was rather fun, even with Neve’s embarrassing outburst upon stepping into the pool the firs time.  Jesus that’s cold!!! she yelled for all to hear.  Ah, Neve.  My inappropriate child. Sigh.

I brought my knitting and a David Sedaris book, but neither got touched.  It’s rough wrangling an almost 2 year old when camping.  Every 11 seconds she was yelling BUG!!!! and had to be convinced that it was OK.

Our temporary home.  Next time I am purchasing an outdoor rug for Oona to walk around on.  She kept skinning her knees on the gravel.  And yes!  We brought Pippa!  She of the very loud mouth and too much barking!

Our not-so-roughing-it quarters.

Poor cute little skinned knees.  She kept making Paul walk her all around the campground, which was funny because her shoes squeak, so all you heard while we were there was that squeak squeak squeak squeak……

When we were not in the pool we were playing cards.  Uno was the favorite of everyone but Neve, who cried when we didn’t let her look at all of our cards and then demanded we play Old Maid instead.  Despite the outbursts she won several rounds.

Paul and Oona napped.  Notice his not-really-camping clothes?  This is how he is dressed at all times.  No matter how hot it gets.  Button – up shirt, pants, shoes.  Even at the beach.  It’s one if his quirks.

Maddie got plenty of boy attention.  She even got “asked out” by one fellow.  She politely declined.  The only love she was after on this trip was some Oona love.

I think we’re all after a bit of Oona love.

They had maps there listing all of the KOA’s across North America.  It was a lot of fun to look at.  Maddie was especially excited by the one in Port Angeles, Washington, not very far from the town of Forks (that would be where Twilight is set, for those who dont’ know).

And then there’s Pippa.  Pippa who got to ride in the truck with her man (and tried to jump out the window at the first stop light), got to go camping with her family, got to sniff at all kinds of new smells and meet all kinds of new people.  Pippa who got to sleep in style in a very comfortable, clean, dry dog house (the ginormous back of the box truck – all for her, complete with her food bowls, a cot and a carpet for her).  Pippa who got treated with bacon the last morning we were there.  Pippa the dog.  Who peed a stinky 2 gallon pee all over my living room carpet our first day home, 10 minutes before our neighbors stopped by, so that I couldn’t invite them in for a nice visit.  Pippa who just woke up the baby with her loud mouth barking.

Ah well.  Can’t win ’em all.  At least the kids had fun!