Top Ten Tuesday: Indoor Camping

For the past week or so, I've been taking care of my conjunctivitis and cold stricken family. Yet I have remained healthy...until this morning. Today, I woke up feeling bad, and I want to lay around and do nothing.

But see, I've got these 2 rambunctions, curious preschoolers who are now healthy as can be and want to "do something." <make sure to use a whiny voice when reading that>

Sid the Science Kid did something camping related today, and it spurred them on to go camping themselves in the house. I figured if I could muster the energy to just get this set up for them, they'd be happy to play all day. Right? Wrong.

Here are Ten Steps to setting up Indoor Camping

1. Clear living room to set up campsite.

2. Set up IKEA igloo tent.

3. Have oldest throw a fit because he wants his own tent. <use whiny voice again>

4. Promise him that you only have one tent.

5. Remember suddenly that you actually do have another tent in the garage...somewhere.

6. Risk life to find said tent.

7. Set the darn thing up. While setting up, politely threaten the kids that they better play with this thing the whole day because it is a stinkin' pain to put up.

8. Pack them a lunch so they can take it camping.

9. Sit back and relax, knowing that you were a nice, fun mom to set up such awesome rainy day/sick mommy play day.

10. Enjoy for 15 seconds before their list of problems begins.

Here are the Top Ten Problems they have had in the past 30 minutes of attempting to play camping

1. Super C wants to bring an imaginary alarm clock and Big E doesn't.

2. Big E can't close the zipper on his tent. So I must do it. Unfortunately for me, he can UNzip it.

3. They can't open the Tupperware or canteens I packed for them.

4. Big E's hands are getting sweaty.

5. There isn't enough room for their imaginary campfire.

6. Super C wants to draw.

7. Big E was moving Super C's tent and knocked over and broke a vase.

8. They are disappointed that we don't have s'more ingredients.

9. They want to watch a movie on the iPad while "camping," and are trying to convince me that it IS a camping activity.

10. They aren't "into" playing camping anymore.