Life After I "Dew"

One of the things Jimmy has wanted to do for, I don't know, ever (?) has been to camping.  I always have an excuse- I'm pregnant and we have a baby were the two solid excuses I could use to weasel my way out of it.  I knew this year I wasn't going to have that option and, call me crazy, but I thought it actually might be fun!  So I added 'camping' to my 32 while 32 list and my goal was to at least go once.
I am happy to report that we have gone twice this summer so far and have at least one more camping trip in the books next weekend.  To say I enjoy camping would be an understatement.  I love it!  It's like we get to go on a mini vacation every couple of weeks or so.  And my kids, oh they love it even more. Kendall has her own little bunk on the opposite side of the camper and she tells everyone she meets about how she sleeps on the top bunk and doesn't even fall off {even though she did once}.  She loves running around and catching fireflies, making s'mores and taking Casey on walks.  She is literally a dream child.  James is in his element, camping.  He is 100% boy to the core.  He loves to get dirty and camping can get a little dirty.
Since we've only been at this a couple of weeks we've got a lot to learn but we've also learned a little more each time we've gone.  As you can see, we're not exactly "roughing it" with the camper.  We have a full kitchen and bathroom, TV with DVD player, heck there's even a Keurig on there so we're basically glamping.  It's really the only way to go, if you can.  This past weekend it rained a ton while we were camping and I was so thankful to have all the extra amenities to keep us sane since we couldn't exactly be outside in thunder and lightening.
One tip we were given when we first started out on this adventure was to stock our camper.  Loading it with our essential items {toothpaste, toothbrush, coffee, first aid kit, deodorant, nail clippers, dishes, griddle, sunscreen, etc} so we weren't packing and loading that every time was the best advice we ever got.  It's nice having everything on there, ready to go, and also leaves less of a headache when packing.  I'm still learning how to pack for camping and my husband will be the first to tell you I've forgotten plenty.
My best advice for camping is to keep it simple.  Don't over-pack because chances are you are not going to wear even half of the stuff you bring.  I don't even pack my make-up except for some tinted, SPF moisturizer.  For food we always do hamburgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese, potato salad, fruit, bacon & eggs, and, of course, s'mores fixings. I always take easy snacks- trail mix, nuts, chips, Luna bars, dried fruit, yogurt.  I don't bring a ton of toys either.  We bring a bunch of books, some trucks for James, a soccer ball, plastic baseball bat and ball, Frisbee, bubbles and sidewalk chalk.  And we try to keep things as "normal" as possible for the kids.  For James I take his sound machine and lavender essential oil for bed time.  Kendall has her blankie and that's really all she needs. See what I mean?  She's a dream child.  And we are definitely more easy going when it comes to scheduling and so far it hasn't come back to bite us in the butt {yet}, fingers crossed.
So far we've stayed pretty close to home.  Last weekend we went to Lake  Cumberland in KY which was about 6ish hours away and that was tough for James.  He doesn't care about  TV so turning on a DVD in the car didn't really help him.  He is just full of energy so he wants "uppy" the whole time.  I know this will get better as he gets older and maybe then we can take the camping trips to some real destination spots.  Any suggestions?
I think one of the things I love most about camping is that it forces us to relax. It's such a simple, low key type of thing and you can make it whatever you want it to be.  If you want to be adventurous and go on nature walks and explore you can but if you just want to chill out and relax you can do that too.  Simple, simple living is what it's all about.  We love it.