- First choose an RV park that caters to children. We chose Jellystone Park near Cherokee, NC. Then we realized that the children had never seen a Yogi Bear Cartoon. So the last few days before the camping trip we let them OD on Yogi Bear via YouTube.
- After reading that the theme for the week at Jellystone is "Christmas in July", we assemble the props to transform Bessy into Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer. We raid several houses of
"tacky" Christmas ornaments and lights. - Next get the kids all hyped up about having an "adventure" in the "big bus" by having them paint antlers for Bessy. A few explanations: I say "adventure" because David does not want the girls to think that camping in the RV is "real" camping. To quote Abbie's preschool teacher it's "princess camping". To quote Dave, "Camping is sleeping on the ground in a tent."
Thank you Mike and Diane Restaino for the scrap lumber!
Ella had to be hosed down after this!
- Ride for THREE HOURS in Bessy with the children foot wrestling in their seat belts. Vow to separate them for the ride home.
- Explore the park while Granddady connects up Bessy. There is a playground and swimming pool along with an activity pavilion that is just across the driveway from our site. We elect for the swimming pool. It will be the last sunshine we see.
- Granddaddy builds a fire even though its hot and we roast hot dogs and marshmallows. Now THAT'S CAMPING.
- As dark descends, the girls help us decorate Bessy. We are really glad Granddaddy is an engineer and can figure out how to attach the antlers, paper lantern BLINKING nose and eyes. The Libke's deer bring many comments and folks really like Rudolph! The girls enjoy attaching balls and stars to the canopy. Our site is the tackiest one there!
- Enjoy eating and reading in the "big bus". Granddaddy can really make The Creepy Carrot story really creepy!! It becomes Ella's instant favorite!
- Wake up to rain, rain, rain! And trying to be positive, we're glad that it doesn't come with lightening, or storms... just a steady downpour.
- Now we are glad the activity pavilion is just next door. Gammy knew what she was doing when she chose the site near the action, rather than isolated on the river (that may flood at this rate!!).
Our site: #55... small but right in the action! - Abbie enjoys the crafts, while Ella just enjoys running around and around the pavilion, flapping her arms. Today she is Rosie, the Dragon. If we had a nickle per lap, we could send her to college!!
Abbie just about gets the action for hula hooping!
Rosie, the Dragon just runs through the hula hoops! - Gammy rethinks her anti-tv/video stance when the Yogi Bear video provides a reprieve from the rain.
- Adjust the menu to microwavables since grilling outside in the rain is not going to happen!
- On Day 2, Gammy is really glad that Granddaddy brought home large balls from his last shopping trip. They give the girls and several other children some great gross motor time in the pavilion. When not chasing the ball, Ella continues to do laps, today she is Yaka the Sea Horse, complete with a gallop. Abbie joins her intermittently and paints another rock since hers disappeared. Though it feels like a scam, they are definitely worth the $1 the camp charges per rock!! LOL
- They watch the Jellystone video.... AGAIN!!
- The tacky barometer gets cranked up a notch when the folks by the river inflate a 10 foot Santa with candy canes and Christmas trees.
- Granddaddy goes on a very long errand to gain some sanity and buy another seatbelt so that the girls can be separated for the ride home. Engineer Dave installs it easily.
- Gammy puts a bathing suit on Ella and lets her stomp in the dozens of puddles that have formed around the camp. She is definitely an Happy Camper!!
- We rent Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... forgetting that Raold Dahl can sometimes be a little scarry. This was supposed to be an "unplugged weekend" and they are getting more screen time than ever! Abbie watches through the slits in her fingers and asks dozens of questions. Ella just sits on Gammy's lap and sucks her thumb. They clap at the end... We're not sure if its because its over, or they really like and understand the ending. They are worried about the children who have disappeared and miss Willie Wonka's line that they will all be all right in the end.
- Day 3 (Saturday)... we are really glad we did not book the site for tonight as we originally planned. One more day of rain, and we are considering looking for an ark! Poor Rudolph's nose has to live inside the the dashboard because it is made of paper. We notice that the folks with the inflatable Santa leave before we do... We probably would have won the contest if we had stayed through Saturday night!
Note the Leg Lamp in Bessy's window
Rudolph's nose has to go inside
Abbie LOVES the ladybug umbrella!
- Since the "Hey! Hey! Hayride" has been cancelled now for 3 days running, Yogi Bear makes an appearance at the pavilion. The girls are delighted and Yogi even plays kickball with our balls. Ella keeps asking "Where is Boo Boo?"
- Ella joins the crafters and makes a foam angel. Abbie wants to do the crafts the bigger girls are doing and against her better judgement, Gammy buys a bottle for pouring colored sand. Ella decides she wants one too. They really have fun with it and the bottles become their prized possessions. Of course they shake them up alot and the sand turns mostly brown. But it was definitely worth the $2.69 each.
- Today Granddaddy puts on his bathing suit and stomps around in puddles, taking down our Christmas display and disconnecting Bessy while Gammy is grateful once again for the large balls and the gross motor play before the 3 hour ride home.
- Separating the girls works wonders and they are just about angels on the way home. Of course Gammy has memorized the library books by now and will probably recite them in her sleep!
- We pull into the parking spot the Restaino's have saved for us and they say, "We just finished sprucing up the yard of the Morrison House for JoeDance. We sure could use some rain!"
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