A Weekend of Firsts

    Like most first time parents, every age seems to be our favorite yet. From the first sneeze in the hospital to the first smile, to the first time she looks up and says, “I love you mommy.” And our most recent camping trip was no different. Full of firsts for her and plenty of those moments as a parent when you look down at this little person and you can’t imagine a more wonderful age. Despite the random flashes of defiance and tyranny common with two-year-olds.
  This past weekend marked Layla’s first time on a boat. We are not what you might call ‘boat’ people just as some people are not ‘tent’ or ’mountain’ people. A cruise has never sounded appealing-even before all the bad press in recent years- the Titanic was enough for me. However I do enjoy a beach vacation from time to time and look forward to visiting an ocean with Layla, where we can write our names in the sand, jump in the waves and build a sand castle. But as a general rule, I’m not a fan of activities that require great lengths of time in a swimsuit outside of pools or oceans. So this excludes laying out, water parks and beauty pageants. No losses there. I am also pretty sure there is not an SPF strong enough for my level of paleness as I sit here, skin peeling as I type. 
  I do get the boat appeal. Sitting in the back of a boat with the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, gorgeous water and mountains all around. What’s not to like. So when you have ‘boat' people friends and they invite you out, you go and enjoy it for a day or two and then put your clothes back on and crawl back in your tent.
  Since moving to Colorado, we’ve camped mostly along our beloved river in the mountains, going up in elevation, feeling a world away from town. Will we get our camping fix without a rushing river, without moose, without thin, cool mountain air? Will boat people and mountain people clash?  Is it still camping if you have cell service and the campers next to you blare a mix of rap and country music from their truck radio?
  Sure it was more the Southern Illinois style camping we remember versus the Colorado style we are now accustomed to in Glendo, Wyoming. But it was indeed camping. Camping with sand, sun and rainbows. We got to walk down to the beach from our campsite and splash in water, watch tadpoles swim and fish jump. Layla was content for what seemed like hours, running, dancing and digging in the sand.
In addition to her first beach experience, ride on a boat and first ever S'more, Layla also saw her first rainbow. And seeing her little eyes light up at each new thing made my heart smile and claim that this age, yes, this age is definitely the best age yet. And also, boat and mountain people can indeed camp together in harmony.