Mini Mansion in the Woods

Took the family and our friend's family camping in the woods this past weekend.  We had a great time but ONLY due to the company.  We were at Kincaid Lake State Park and while it was last minute and a close campground, we wont be visiting again.  Here is the review:
Thank goodness for great company of great friends!!  Arriving at the 2pm check in I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly the staff were and it felt like we were off to a great start.  Then we started setting up- in the blazing heat cause there was absolutely NO SHADE.  The sites are on a hill or RIDGE really so there was no where for kids to ride bikes or play really without being right in the street. Ok we'll make due.

Got it all set up and then looking for something to do we decide to head to the pool- until we realized that there would be admission into the pool for everyone in the group.  Yes even the people camping had to pay to swim. What the????

So we take the kids on a hike down to the lake.  Thank goodness there was a dirt trail and shade down there.  We arrive at the bank and there is a mud sculpture, sitting on a log, of a giant penis.  What did she say?  Yup giant dried mud clay penis.  Nice.  Travis karate kicked that down so we had somewhere to sit and the kids chucked rocks and skipping stones for awhile while we grown ups enjoyed the shade.

We all head back to the campsite to cook Brats and Mets and corn on the cob roasted in the fire only to realize that I forgot the tongs, flipper and any tool of any kind that will be useful to take things out of a fire!  I make friends the neighbors quickly and borrow some of their tools to cook on the fire with:

While us grown ups are making dinner in it's various stages, the kids are enjoying the screen room and talking about butts- for real they are in there saying the word butt as many times as humanly possible and it is nice to know that no matter what age you are, butts and farts are funny!

Everyone ate a yummy dinner and the kids did surprisingly well at finishing what was on their plates- which all parents know is a touch and go situation.  Next comes the campfire with the overpriced, wet wood.  Being the boyscout that my husband is, he douses the thing with half a jug of lighter fluid and tells everyone to stand back!!  Ha ha ha!  I always think he is going to blow himself up but he walks away with all the hair on his arms and face that he originally arrived with!!  The kids got in their chairs with their important belongings and enjoyed the fire and gave us parents a break for a few.  It was the first time they slowed down ALL day.

The night was good and the dinner was great and after the sun went down it actually got cool and the fire was a nice gathering.  Once bed time hit, we parents knew we were in the clear.  The Wilson kids went to bed with some funny shadow puppets and they were quiet and snoozing in no time.  The Durham kids went down quietly but are so NOT used to sleeping together that it was loud in no time.  Then was the ripping sound. What is that ripping sound???  Jon and I run into the camper to find Callie, our 2 year old, ripping a zipper down off the window!!  AHHHH!!!  Jon immediately grabs the pack n play, revoking her privileges of using the bed in the camper while hollering "You are destroying my camper!!!!" (which everyone thought was hilarious)  Callie sees the pack n play and immediately throws her head back to have a fit and puts it THROUGH THE SCREEN, almost flipping out of the camper!!!  This crap can only happen to us!!

After all the hub bub is done and the kids are quiet it is time for grown ups around the campfire.  Of course at this point I am so zonked and just DONE that I head to bed and we are all asleep by 1130!
Still it was a fun time and soon after the "destroying of the camper" we were all laughing about it.  Of course, the next day when we planned to head to the pool and have a fun day, we all decided to pack it up and head home.  Thank you Kincaid Lake for a lovely trip. :)