Monday, April 16, 2012

Rowdy Rebel Camping 2012

We've been camping with Avery's playgroup since 2008, and so it is no surprise that by now our camping trips include a language of their own.  May we present our A-Z dictionary of all things Rowdy Rebel Camping:

Avoidance (n.) - The act of avoiding something, in this case the outdoors.  As in, "Mom, can I pleeeease stay in the cabin?  I don't want to go into the wild!" This request proved ineffective for Avery and she was required to eat dinner at an outdoor picnic table.

Breakfast Crew (n.) - A group of people who hold a special place in our hearts.  Preparing the first meal of the day on an outdoor stove is not something to be taken lightly.

Coffee Ministry (n.) - The blessed ministry responsible for meeting the caffeine intake of every camper on the trip; note: there is a 2 pot minimum.

Distribution of responsibility (n.) - The act of sharing photography responsibilities among all involved parties.  Any camp parent, at any given time, should be prepared to grab the nearest camera and capture the memories for the benefit of all.

Exhaustion (n.) - The result of Late Bedtimes (see L for more information)

Falls (n.) - Otherwise known as trips, slips, or spills, this is a sudden uncontrollable descent.  For a demonstration, contact Abigail.  (Note: the best remedy for a fall, no matter the severity, is a band-aid)

Grumpy (adj.) - A term used to describe the Rowdy Rebel campers around 3 pm on the second day of camping adventure (also a result of Late Bedtimes - refer to L)

Hilarity (n.) - What ensues after hours, gathered 'round the campfire, playing Catch Phrase

iPhone (n.) - A device used to keep men informed of the outside world while 'in the wild'; an iPhone siting is a moment when a man is caught checking the weather, texting, or looking up a map for a hike.  Teasing must follow (see S for Sarcasm for more).

Joint Parenting (n.) - An arrangement in which all parents share equal responsibility for all children involved.

Kid-centered (adj.) - Used to describe the type of weekend camping is; the result is flexible expectations and lots of extra smiles.

Late Bedtime (n.) - The expectation and reality of sleepovers; especially when allowing four children to sleep in the same room.  Addition of Kate guarantees a late bedtime, and removal of her from the room guarantees an early bedtime.

Mascot (n.) - A person or thing that is meant to symbolize a particular event; in the case of Rowdy Rebel Camping 2012, a Roly Poly was chosen.

Nature walk (n.) - A walk on a nature trail, also the perfect opportunity for photos and roly poly hunting.

Oak Thicket Park (n.) - The location of our camping trip this year, boasting bathrooms, refrigerators, and air conditioning all inside the cabin!

Power Plant (n.) - A structure that provides power and shows up in the background of every scenic shot taken at Oak Thicket Park (see O for more).

Quest (n.) - A trip taken in search of something; as in The Quest for Firewood.  This particular quest led to Jerry's General Store, where Jerry offered all of his personal firewood at no charge.

Rowdy Rebels (n.) - The group of friends we've had the privilege of growing up with; represented on this trip by 13 adults, 11 pre-school and older children, 4 toddlers, and 2 infants... yes, 13 adults and 17 children total!

Sarcasm (n.) - The primary language spoken among Rowdy Rebel adults; as in, "It's just a Chris Nichols sort of day."

Tangled (v.) - Twisted.  Also, the state of Cole's fishing pole the majority of the weekend.

Unplanned (adj.) - Describing something unexpected and unprepared for; in this case, a swim session.

Vying (v.) - The act of competing with great effort to achieve something.  Rowdy Rebel Camping 2012 included vying for votes for Cool Mom by Emily (face painting, reading stories...), Emilee (Paula Dean cookies!), Ella (live worms, offering excessive sugar to all children), Kathy (making up hiking stories and songs and the wagon), Audrey (adult Capri Suns, marshmallow stackers, and chocolate covered graham crackers), and Genevieve (the boat which was played on even when parked in the driveway, a tripod for the annual group picture).  A 7-way tie was established.

Wind (n.) - The force which kept the boat docked the duration of the weekend and made fishing a moot point.

Xcited (adj.) - The term used to describe how the we feel about camping 2013. 

Yikes! (interjection) - The word that is yelled at a snake siting.  The snake in question was easily as thick as an adult arm and 10 feet long, seem slithering across our path and into the woods.

Zen (n.) - A state of peace achieved when all parties accept the chaos and merriment of the weekend and choose to just sit back, relax, and take it all in.








1 comment:

  1. This was a fun read. Reminds me of the days when we went camping. Love the pictures.

    ReplyDelete