Greg decided to have a camp-out with our two older girls in the basement making the chances of a racoon attack far less likely.

Every now and again, they blow up two queen sized mattresses, hop into sleeping bags with a special snack and movie of their choice. Hardly roughing it in the woods frying beans over a fire and having to hike 70kms to the nearest outhouse but for now, it’ll do nicely.

Here are just a few of the pre and post camp-out complaints I was privy to.

1)      The salt & vinegar chips were neither salty nor vinegary. (This was actually true. The flavour clearly marked on the bag was “lightly salted” chips. An error Greg will take with him to his grave.

2)      The movie choice was Princess and The Frog and both girls have seen this movie four times AND there is a scary man in it that gives everyone nightmares.

3)      Ellie: These pillows ARE SO HARD I CAN NOT GET COMFORTABLE!!! THEY FEEL LIKE METAL. Actually, they were the two pillows off of her bed with little to no metal in the stuffing or cases.

4)      This one I heard at least two dozen times. “Mom, I can’t get the zipper on this sleeping bag done all the way up.” When I approached to pull the zipper to the top, it was perhaps ¼ inch shy of already being there but the desperation from the salty/vinegary children more than made up for that missing on their chips.

5)      Greg: I have a stiff one. He repeated this all day today with reference to his back although he giggled to himself each time he said it.

6)      “It rained last night,” sighed the dry, disappointed children who slept indoors.