Fort Wilkins

Our first camping trip of the summer was a huge success.  It was also a nice trial run for our longer trip in July.

I had never camped at Fort Wilkins before, although I'd been there many times.  It's a great campground with plenty to do and a nice playground.  We picked a site close to both the lake and the playground. 

Clare loved all the wooded trails for riding her bike.  Several times she exclaimed:"My bike can do ANYTHING!" while riding over roots, rocks, and through mud puddles.  Her confidence grew on the downhills as she practiced her coasting on the rolling paths.

The only time I saw Clare in her sleeping bag was shortly after the tent was set up.  She likes to be on top of it and use blankets if she's cold instead. 

Our handy trailer/chuck wagon, given to us by a friend of Matt's, and the canoe he threw in for a few hours of free woodworking labor on Matt's part.  We've put both the trailer and the canoe to good use in the past two summers.

This absolutely wonderful screen house was given to us by friends of ours just a week before.  We must be known as people who will take and use free stuff.  The screen house was invaluable as the black flies and biting flies were awful.  Molly spent a good deal of time in the screen house just to get away from the flies attacking her ears and nose.  We ate all our meals in there and after the kids went to bed, it was a great place for Matt and I to sit and relax and read. 

Karl's face proves just how bad the bugs were.  Poor little guy.  Even though he never seemed bothered by the bugs or the bites, I felt awful.  Even deet wasn't keeping the bugs away.

 Riding through puddles - that's our girl!  Clare rode many times around the campground loop while we pushed Karl in the stroller.  It's a good thing Karl LOVES his stroller.  He'll sit happily in there even if no one's pushing him. 

We got out canoeing as a family the first day.  Even Molly came.  Matt took her for a quick trial run beforehand and after that she laid down calmly the whole time like an old canoeing pro. 

We bribed Karl with parade candy to sit with his life jacket on (he hates his life jacket).  I spent a good part of the canoe trip alternating between paddling and unwrapping candy to keep him from screaming and squirming.  After paddling half the lake, Matt and Clare dropped Karl and I off and they went out for a longer paddle.  The next day, Clare was begging to go again.  Karl stayed on the shore and threw rocks in the water until the bugs found us and drove us into the screen tent again.

Overall, a very fun two days, possibly to be repeated next year.