Re: [Paddlewise] Mates OR Children

Sandykayak_at_aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 11/04/1999 5:53:24 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> kcoplan_at_genesis.law.pace.edu writes:
> 
> << Its hard to find overnight babysitting, and besides, since we both work we
> feel
>  too guilty to abandon our kids to strangers on weekends too.  Last
>  February, Robin and I finally got another winter camping overnight
>  in by leaving the kids with their aunt in Albany.  >>
> 
> Now try to imagine being a single parent who loves the outdoors.  I was so
> broke that my kids didn't even know what the inside of a hotel (or motel)
> looked like! 


Sandy, this sure brought back memories of my first son. The only life he 
knew at first was a 12X20' log cabin, just across the Copper river from 
the Wrangles. It had no running water, electricty, and of course no 
inside toilet. I think he was 3+ years old when he was first "intrduced" 
to a real flushing toilet in town. We practicly had to lock him out of 
the bathroom to keep him from flushing it over and over again. :-)
Sometimes we worry about not being able to provide "things" for our 
children, but I think the greatest gift we can give, is to share our love 
of the outdoors.
Those were great times.

James

> But they learned to camp.  Nothing strenuous or particularly
> adventurous, but lots of "quality time" (to use a barf word!).  I had a "poor
> man's" van (wood panneling and a wooden platform with a mattress) but we had
> so much fun.
> 
> The payback comes later when:  the first thing my daughter did after high
> school graduation was to go camping with a girlfriend.  And when my son (in
> high school) had to write about his funniest experiences they were all about
> incidents that happened while camping (when his friend peed into the wind
> while they were fishing, when his step-father sat  on my son's birthday cake,
> when the tents got flooded with six inches of water....).
> 
> Just reminiscing.....
> 
> Sandy Kramer the cheap date who would rather sit in front of a tent mit vin
> und friends than check into a resort!
> 
>


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