"Oh My Gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

I have been hearing this phrase, on an intermittent repeat, since last weekend, when Kaeden's elder uncle, Galen, visited from Scotland.  This is the first time Kade's seen him in almost two years. Apparently, the weekend was just too good to enjoy it and move on with life, as Kaeden keeps asking where "Unc Galen" is and when he's coming back. He understands that people have to go to work, so much so that when I drop him off at daycare he informs his class that "Mommy is going to drive to work!", but he is much saddened anew every time I inform him that Galen is still at work. 

The weekend left quite the impression. I had to work, so the gang got to head to the beach without me, but it was there that the love affair started, it was cemented by a day of gear shopping, and by the time the duo swung by my park to camp out for the night, the bond was set for life in the eyes of my toddler. 

I've only been camping with Kaeden once before, a year ago at an endurance ride camp, which I know now he was just a little bit too young for. He was more of a mobile hazard than anything else, so we'll have to wait another year or so until he can tag along again. 

But with Galen, we just car camped at my park, which has things like bathrooms and fire rings and picnic tables. If it turns out that Kaeden's answer to "What is your first memory?" is that night in the woods, Galen should consider his work as an uncle well done. 

Even though I love my new commute, halfway through the Gorge every day, it was unbelievably relaxing to get off work, change out of my uniform, walk a few yards, and open a nice cold hard cider at our campsite for the night. We went for a short hike up above camp, where the Wild Rumpus tried to convince us to follow a dried up stream bed. 

Instead, when we got back to camp Galen conjured up a fire, which ended up being the most magical part of the night for Kaeden, who was endlessly fascinated by it. When he got tired, he would curl up on the sleeping pad right near the fire, and pull his blankie over himself. He'd rest for a few minutes, then pop up again with renewed energy. His favorite thing to do was wave his arms at the fire and, I think, pretend to tickle the fire (yup, he's my kid alright, weird as a hippopotamus on an iceberg).

We sang songs, we managed to cook steak and chicken sausages and garlic bread, the adults drank beer, listened to the frequent cargo trains go by just a few hundred yards from camp, and watched the fire burn all the way down to embers, while Kaeden protested that he was wide awake and full of energy...but laying down was so nice...but I'm wide awake!

Despite sleeping on the hard ground because I forgot to shove my sleeping pad in my car before work, the relaxation, good company, and happiness stuck with me all through the next day, and it's stuck with Kaeden all week. 

Now that is a way to rock a weekend, and we both thank you Uncle Galen!