Daddy Daughter Campout

I never expected my daughter to be the outdoorsy type… even though the signs were all there from a really young age. When she was two years old, she asked to camp in the backyard with me. I figured we’d make it a few hours before she asked to come inside, but she never did. My daughter is very “girly” in the best possible way. She’s sweet and thoughtful; she loves Taylor Swift and all kinds of crafty things. So I guess it’s always caught me a little off guard how much she enjoys camping. ?I’ve always liked the outdoors, but camping was never something my family did. I went hunting with my grandfather growing up, but my dad and I bonded more with sports than we did in the woods.

?I joined the Dad’s Club at Elena’s school when she started Kindergarten, and it’s been a great experience. The parental involvement at her school is second to none. One of the first events that they participated in was a Daddy Daughter Campout. I’ll admit I wasn’t overly excited about it, but I knew it would be a good way to get to know some of the other dads, so when Elena expressed interest we signed up right away.

?We typically go twice a year, one in the Fall and one in the Spring and we usually have 9 or 10 Dads that make it each time. There are activities they do every time, like horseback riding, archery, hiking, and a ziplining, but the girls spend most of the time running around with each other. The last night of the camp they always have a bonfire where they tell corny stories and give out awards for bravery or kindness, and to girls that have birthdays or lose teeth. Neither Elena nor I are big fans of bonfire, so we skip it about half of the time. The dark walks back to our cabin scared her, so she would make me carry her most of the way.

?During the bonfire last Spring they did a little ceremony for the girls that were on their last campout, and it suddenly registered with me that these Daddy/Daughter campouts were almost over. Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday that we started going to these, and now I realize there’s only one left for me and my daughter. It was a sad walk back to the cabin that night, and I’ll admit I was happy that she still wanted me to pick her up during the scary walk back through the woods.

?This last weekend was a lot of fun, and even though I don’t get much rest on these trips I always come back with a full spirit. I hope that she doesn’t hold it against me later in life when she realizes that those arrowheads she and her friends “found” weren’t as old as she once thought. I just hope that she remembers these trips as fondly as I do. ?

Well the Fall Daddy/Daughter Campout is officially a wrap. We both came back tired, dirty and full of junk food. While it was great to sleep in my own bed Sunday night I’ll admit that I’m looking forward to doing it all again this coming weekend at the first Father/Son Campout!

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