Had the Monroe Campout last weekend. What, you ask, is the Monroe Campout? It’s a fundraiser/Halloween event for Josie’s school where families pay to be able to camp out at a local park and there are activities for the kids. The park is Monte Verde and it’s completely fenced in and has a rec center and bbq area.

This year, we got a hot dog dinner along with more desserts than you could shake a stick out (everyone brought something to share). There was also a tent decorating contest (we didn’t enter), a mummy wrap game, a flashlight hike and tent trick or treating.

Oh, and a completely new experience for us southern californians: rain.

We arrived right when it started, put our tent up, unfolded our chairs, and Ted and I enjoyed drinks and chips while we watched other parents struggle with their tents and kids running all over the place playing. Ted stayed through the end of the flashlight hike (which was more like a haunted house, with older kids enlisted as ghosts and goblins), then he went home to ‘keep the dog company.’ Which translates to ‘he doesn’t like camping so close to other people.’

It was fairly crowded and we ran out of candy (a first), but the kids got plenty and Josie had a great time running around with her friends. We saw some people we knew (outside of Monroe, actually) and had fun chatting.

After Ted left, the rain started. We’d been seeing flashes of lightning and hearing thunder most of the evening. It started with a sprinkle, then around 9:30 or so, got fairly heavy. I checked in with Ted and decided to stay. The tent was staying nice and dry and it was fun to lie in it, listening to the rain. The water also quieted everyone down really fast.

Josie and I slept great. Our only complaint was that by morning, our pillows were wet because the lower sides of the tent aren’t exactly water proof. I bundled everything up in the tent and Ted came to get us.

All in all, another great camping experience. Oh, we had a beautiful sunset, with huge piles of clouds turned pink by the sun, but you won’t be seeing any photos, since we forgot to take the camera. Oh well, we have our memories.