Our Week at Ricketts Glen

This will be an adventure with a few posts because we did a lot and I took a ton of photos.  We spent the last week at Ricketts Glen State Park  It was our second cabin camping trip and Baylor has been looking forward to it for a long time.  It is funny to me that he remembers going two years ago.  He was not much of a happy camper then because he was only 2 1/2 and it was a bit much for him.  But this year was was a super camper!  

Lori went along and was planning on staying a day or two.  She is not camping soul but Baylor had asked her to go along. So she bucked and came along.  We both drove down and about an hour into the trip I realized I left my CPAP at home.  Having sleep apnea for the last 11 years, it is usually the first item I pack.   And I remember looking at it and telling myself to pack it but I was on a mission with something else and never revisited the thought.  I have a Keep Moving Forward/Never Turn Back internal motto that tends to get me in trouble (and it did a few times this week). I don't even turn around for a good yard sale, never turn around.  I told Lori I would try it that night and if it was bad, I would drive home Monday and get it.  It was only two and a half hours away.  So we kept moving forward and arrived in the park a bit after the 3 o'clock check in.  As we were driving around the corner I saw my parents parked at the office picking up the keys so I pulled over and Lori followed.  She got out to see why I stopped and then we both waited to follow them in.  We were in cabin G and the first thing Baylor found was the water on the side of the drive way.  He was already wearing his boots so we just let him play while we unpacked.  

Mud boy had his first clothing change within an hour of arrival.  We were not able to bring our own wood (beetles and such) so we drove down to the park station and bought two bundles of wood for $6.50 each.  I  was there to camp and it was not fine with me to not have a fire the first night.  I am a pyromaniac after all, it runs in our blood.  And it runs strong in Baylor's blood too from what I saw in him this week.  

He settled himself by the fire complete with a snack.

So we had supper, played by the fire and went to bed.  Lori slept on the air mattress on the floor and Baylor and I shared the bed.  He liked being able to roll off the bed onto Lori's bed.  I had a miserable night trying to sleep without my CPAP and sometime in the middle of the night, Baylor had an accident.  I cleaned him up while Lori removed the sheets.  I had brought spare sheets and the crib pads for just such an event.  My grandma, on my dad's side, used to tell us kids that if we played in the fire, we would wet the bed. We never did and continued to play in the fire.  I guess since Baylor played with fire and got burned so to speak.  Well, it was just another reason to run home, get the CPAP and do the laundry. Originally Baylor was going to stay with Grandma and Buddy, but since he did not sleep well either, he changed his mind.  But he was good in the car for the ride down.  We parked my car about half way home and took Lori's car the rest of the way .  I washed the bedding, grabbed all the other stuff we needed, and Lori drove us back to our car.  I had to run into store to pick up a few other things we needed and then we said good bye for the week.  She did not want to stay another night anyway.  Baylor and I headed back and were there for a late dinner.  Grandma, Buddy, and Ute (our friend from Germany who is visiting for several weeks) had gone on a drive while we were gone and had a late lunch. They did not eat dinner but Ute had made my favorite German food and I had that for dinner.  It was awesome.  While I was eating Baylor was outside with Buddy playing in the fire and making space ships (sticks on fire and he was trailing the smoke behind him) 

The cabin grounds came complete with a huge rock that was a central playing place for Baylor.  Monday night was sword fighting knights.  

And Monday night was also S'mores night. 

Baylor remembers making the marshmallows and was super excited to make his own.  He really only holds them over the fire for a few minutes to soften the outside and then munches away on them.  

And then he went back to playing in the fire.  

And I played with camera settings.  

I am sure letting him play in the fire is just one of my many questionable parenting choices but I did not worry since Iron Man was there with us.  But the force must be strong with us because we made it through the entire week with only one tiny skinned knee and no burns of any sort.