camping in

The three little ones have just gone to bed in the playroom, each in their own pop-up tent. These tents were a family present from Santa last year, and they have been wildly popular, especially on rainy days or too-hot days or days when every toy in the house is just boring. Since the tents spend most of the time packed away, they're always good for at least a day or two of adventure when they are setup in the playroom (as they are now), or in the kids' bedrooms, or even in the family room when I am feeling indulgent.

This camping-in bug struck last week, when DD cleaned up the playroom so the tents could be set up. Every day they have begged us, "Can we sleep in the tents tonight?" They each have a pillow, a fleece blanket, their new flashlights from their stockings, and an animal friend... tonight we finally said yes. DH is home from work all this week, so if they are extra cranky tomorrow, at least he will be here to help me deal with it.

I wonder at what age does sleeping on the floor with your brothers and sisters quit being fun? Somewhere around the teen years I'm sure it's an imposition that would be met with a "Are you kidding me?" look. Now as a creaky adult the idea of sleeping on the floor with nothing more than a pillow and a blanket is more like torture than anything else... I have a hard enough time getting out of my comfortable bed every morning.

For now, though, they are excited just to be doing something different. We'll see how long this experiment lasts. It wouldn't surprise me at all, come morning, to find each of them snug in his or her own bed again. They've all got such very long legs, you see!