Magic and Mayhem

We just got back from a short family vacation to a nearby city to take part in an annual free campout that combines flint-knapping, a historic rendesvous and other cool stuff.

Fifteen fun things we did and cool things we learned…

1. We bought handfuls of beautiful polished agates, fossils, crystals and other gorgeous rocks. 
2. We listened to a folk singer sing songs like “Grandma’s Feather Bed” and “Leave a Trail of Love.”
3. Victoria and Anna learned how to use a bullwhip and found out that they were using it fast enough to break the sound barrier– which is 752 mph in South Dakota (where the family was from), and that it varies as you get higher above sea level since the air is thinner and lighter.  The family was a homeschool family and I told them I could tell.  :)  They were fantastic kids and neat parents.
4. Jack and Victoria learned how to lasso from the same family.
5. We watched an old time shoot out with folks dressed up as outlaws and saloon girls, complete with fake gunfire and smoke when the bad guy got accused of cheating at cards!
6. Victoria, Jack and I climbed all the way to the top of the VERY tall grassy hill that overlooked our camp site.  The kids walked up it several times and ran down it too.     
7. The kids bought multiple flavors of licorice and rock candy.
8. They made friends with many kids and got email addresses for two little girls that they really liked.
9. They helped Daddy teach kids and adults alike how to throw spears with an atlatl.  
10. We all sat around the campfire and enjoyed watching the flames and coals.
11. Alex loved running free and chasing a giant ball all around the huge grassy area where we set up camp. 
12. In the spirit of full disclosure, we weathered high temps, low temps, high tempers, setting up two tents and a canopy, the invasion of a very loud family right next to us at midnight (who set up giant worklights to illuminate the site and let their boys ride their bikes up and down the hill past us while shouting loudly the whole time the grown ups set up camp!), sibling squabbles, upset stomachs, sore legs and other facts of life.
13. When thunderstorms were closing in on the second day, we worked as a team to break camp in record time and pack everybody and everything back into the van to take off before the storm hit.
14. We came home to find that one of our monarchs had emerged from his chrysalis in record time and was raring to go fly free!  We brought him into the back yard and he happily flew off into the sky. 
15. We were all tired and skipped dinner.  We ate tomatoes from the garden and snacks left over from camping, caught up on computer fun and ended the day with the kids camped out in the living room falling asleep to lullabies.

All in all, it was a fun little getaway!