June '14: Camping!

At home in trees (Tilden park campground)

Got Dirt? (Burney Falls campground)

We've opted to spend our vacation time this year exploring the beautiful state of California, and this month we kicked that off with three camping trips!

To aid in our wanderings we purchased (ulp!) a 20-year old VW Eurovan Weekender (previously) nicknamed "Trudy".  Some of us have been hankering for a camper van for a long time.  Alas, she spent our week-long vacation in the shop while we explored Burney Falls and Lassen National Park.  But we just made a quick trip to Portola Redwoods State Park and got to enjoy the ease of getting out of the house and back.

Pop-top peek-a-boo

Ronan loves camping and climbing around in Trudy.  What's not to love about getting really dirty, spending all day together, and throwing rocks in lakes?  Maybe getting "lost" on a trail that transformed a quick jaunt into a 4-mile slog with lots of uphill?  Eh, he handled that pretty well too.  A little ET role-play with an M&M trail didn't hurt.  

The best pictures from our week camping up North are here
Pictures of Ro since he turned 4.5 are here


Quotes:

[Ronan crawls into our bed in the morning for a snuggle.  I have a cat on me.]
A: I'm having some cat therapy.  Are you here for mom therapy?
R: Mom therapy doesn't work.  I need cat therapy.  Or maybe mom and cat therapy.

R: Too bad it's not small
A: What, the Mormon temple?
R: Yeah cuz if it was small I would rip it out of the ground and put it in my treasure chest.  And then I would take it out at night and look at it!

[Playing with a friend]

M: I get to decide about my safari truck
R: Oh yeah yeah. You're totally right.  But I get to decide about my feelings.

R: Can you maybe buy a new radio station and put Toccata and Fugue on?

Buddies

R: I'm so bossy I don't need to wear pants

R: Auntie Dawn knows all about history.  I think she grew up in that history!

R: I'm making something right now, so I'm not available for napping now.

R: I need room to zoom!