Cedarville State Forest

I took my children camping for the first time! Not their first time, not my first time, but our first time together. Me plus three little girls. I have only once camped without a man... so there was a lot of Girl Power going on. The children and I spent all week practicing (and I was taking the extra time to get comfortable with my new backpacking stove). Thursday after swim class we struck out for the wilderness. Not wilderness, actually, Maryland's Cedarville State Forest. It was pretty cushy as camping goes. There were bathrooms -- with toilet paper in them -- and hot showers. There was a water pump right by our campsite. There was firewood for sale (8 pieces for three dollars). We stayed July 1st through July 3rd. Cost me $42.00 plus a $3.00 parking pass for the state forest. It was an hour away from home and near the home of a good friend, which was handy since these are the things I forgot to pack:

• toilet paper


• bug repellent


• plates and bowls


• my sleeping bag

You may look at this list and think, how could you forget all THAT? Especially since toilet paper and bug repellent are about the only things you actually need in the woods. But my children were so excited while we were packing and I was running around helping people stuff bags into stuff sacks and roll up Thermarests that I neglected to pack a few things. Remembered all 3 girls plus the dog, though, which is all that really matters. My friend kindly brought me the things I had forgotten and even lent me his own extra sleeping bag. Did I mention there was cell phone reception there?

Here was our itinerary.

Day 1.
Arrive. Unpack and set up the tent. Get the the stuff Mom forgot. Lunch.
Naps.
Snack.
Explore. Hike Blue Trail.
Dinner.
Draw with charcoal.
Campfire.
Bedtime.

Day 2.
Breakfast.
Hike Orange Trail (I was so proud of my girls for hiking a 7 mile trail!!!)
Snack.
Snack.
Lunch.
Naps.
Finish read aloud story (Tal: His Marvelous Adventures with Noom-Zor-Noom).
Play with bubbles. Draw with charcoal.
Showers!
Lie around in the tent. Play Hangman. Play I Spy. Take another nap.
Dinner.
Bedtime.

Day 3.
Wake up and pack. Breakfast in the car.


It was a marvelous time. I didn't look at a clock, not even once, from the time we ate lunch on Thursday until this morning when I had to make sure I returned the girls to their dad at 9 am. It was wonderful.