You want to buy WHAT?

June 21st, 2008

My husband has always looked forward to taking the kids Out West. He talked about taking the kids Out West before we had kids. So, it came as no surprise when he asked me a year ago springtime how I felt about taking the kids to South Dakota in the summer. At the time, we had a 4-yr-old, a 2-yr-old and a 6-mos-old (by summertime). I was more reluctant than usual. I cited my concern for sun exposure on the infant. I hadn’t completely weaned yet, but there would be bottles and baby food to pack and all the associated baby gear. I don’t recall the exact conversation, but we chose to tent camp locally, and we had a really nice time.

So, it came as no surprise when he asked me this year wintertime how I felt about taking the kids to South Dakota in the summer. They are a year older, after all. So, now we have a 5 ½-yr-old, a 3-yr-old and an 18-mos-old. “I guess,” I told him reluctantly. You are always so good about taking care of all the details, and at least the oldest would remember it. South Dakota would be an adventure. We would go tent camping in South Dakota.

I spent the next couple of months thinking about the trip, a little worried. Although I have traveled a lot, tent camping Out West with a toddler is a little different. Adventurous, yes, romantic, yes, practical, NO! I had convinced myself that the very worst thing that could happen was that we get whatever we need at the local Walmart and check into a local hotel. It would be okay. Sigh. It would be memorable for sure.

Then one day in April I was checking an e-mail account that I rarely check and found a note from a friend. “Hey, do you want to buy our pop-up camper? We’re upgrading. I’ll sell it for cheap.” For the first time in my life, the idea of a camper actually seemed like a reasonable idea. I thought about just buying it and surprising my husband, but its difficult to sneak a ball-and-hitch onto a minivan. So, I just asked him. “My friend is selling their pop-up, maybe we should buy it . . .”

“You want to buy WHAT?”

“A pop-up. You know, a Coleman pop-up camper, for South Dakota. We can sell it when we get home.”

“What’s wrong with tent camping?”

“Nothing, really. I just thought you would like it. I thought about surprising you with it, I was so sure you’d be excited. I’m surprised that you aren’t excited. The price is very reasonable. Less than a few nights hotel plus breakfast.”

“You don’t like camping that much.”

“Well, you do.”

We bought a pop-up camper. The only thing more shocking to me than the fact that I own a pop-up camper is the fact that it was actually my idea.