Pace's Campout

Some of you may have noticed that, while we celebrated Pace's birthday, she did not have a real party...where she got to invite her friends. The reason is that Jeremiah had a BIG test last weekend (do medical tests EVER end???!!!) and I didn't want to throw a birthday party when a) he was distracted the whole time because he needed to be studying and b) I wouldn't get much help out of him because of...the studying. SO, we told her that her party would be the weekend after Daddy's test...and here we are. She had decided on a "make-up" party, and I had even bought the invitations. Then, after the past month of mini-PRINCESS celebrations (for Pace and the Dapples), I began to dread the party from somewhere deep inside. Don't misunderstand me, I love Cinderella and my uber girley-girls...but sometimes I think I may hurl if I have to decorate with one more piece of pink netting.

What did I do? I've never said I'm above a little manipulation :) When we came home from the last camp out, Pace started telling Jeremiah and me that she wanted to take her friends camping. I grabbed that opportunity by the tail and said, "Would you rather do that than have your make-up party??" (If you read about the last camp-out, then you must know just how desperate this meant I was :)) Pace looked back at me with her "wheelin' and dealin' expression" (don't think I can out-manipulate her for one minute) and said, "Yes, if I can invite Ella and Natalie AND Noah!" It was a deal.

Unfortunately (THANK YOU JESUS!!!), there was rain predicted for Saturday night, and we had to forgo our plans of going to Oak Mountain and camp in our den instead :) Jeremiah acted as though he was laying down his manhood on the sacrificial altar, by giving in to my demands to NOT take four four-year-olds camping in the RAIN, but he eventually laid it on down and I must say that he was so fun and SOOO helpful during this whole escapade.

We pushed all the furniture to the walls, and let the fun begin! The first order of business was a hot-dog roast...in our fireplaceAnd we followed that up, with s'mores

Once everybody was good and full, we did a little bracelet making. You know a Daddy loves his girls when...Noah, aka Prince Charming, was invited but was out of town. He was missed by all, but at least he didn't have to lower himself to bracelet-making :)

Then, it was movie time, and you can see Locks found his place in the middle of it all.

Somebody else found his way into the middle of it all too :)

And what's a camp-out without a few camp-fire songs before bed?

At this point, my sisters (and Riley and John David) called to say they were just leaving an engagement party and wanted to come "hide in the bushes and bang on the windows to give the campers a little scare. Is that ok?" WHAT??!!! Obviously, they do not have four-year-olds, and did not realize that that would single-handedly scar them for life...or at the very least keep them from sleeping AT ALL. But I told them I'd love for them to stop by, knock on the DOOR, and sing some songs with us :)And finally, it was time to zip the little campers up in their tent (go-go ghetto-fabulous Dapples in her shiny athletic pants. What is she doing?)And after about an hour of giggling and whispering, they finally zonked out.They slept warm and snug until the next morning, when they had a little fire-side breakfast and went back to their Mommies and Daddies.Honestly, we had a lot of fun. And it beat another princess-make-up party any day :)