bryan suddith dot com

Since 2002 when my oldest was still in pull ups I have been camping with my boys. What started as an overnight without mom has turned into a twice a year event for me and the boys and our friends. This past weekend it was 5 dads, 11 or 12 kids and a weekend full of memorable quotes.

Our format for camping is very loose. Bring a tent. Bring some food. Bring a kid or three. Have fun. No moms. No soap. Very few safety rules.

Here is the recap from the weekend then the quotes:
6:00 p.m. Friday. Arrival. tent up.
6:20 p.m. Campfire up and burning. One lighter is used and no matches were harmed. Babb boy #1 calls me out as a girl scout for using what I call the “bic waterproof reusable match”. Being called a girl scout is an insult and will be used again and again over the next 42 hours.
6:50 p.m. the first hot dog, 1 of 117 were consumed. This event was also claimed by a Babb boy.
7:03 p.m. Andrew Suddith is hurt. This is normal. We were surprised it wasn’t his customary burn, but rather a gash to his index finger via his pocket knife. Let me remind you safety is not important. Life lessons are happening here.
7:28 p.m. everyone in the river for swimming. Dads too. And the dog.
8:15 p.m. hot dogs, chips, sunflower seeds and pop are consumed at a rapid rate. smores are broken out and like crack are consumed with much ease and little fanfare.
9:47 p.m. time for glowsticks and running around in the dark. no one is hurt in the playing of this game.
10:07 p.m. the sheltons begin their annual burning of the homework while singing Van Halen’s “School’s out for the summer”. Jacob Babb is barefoot again and whining. The Dog is going nuts and wishing he hadn’t come along. I am longing for a beer, Shelton doesnt share.
10:30 sumthing p.m. the kids head off to bed.
10:45 p.m. the dads find pop and good snacks and gather round the campfire to chat.
3:03 a.m. the dog is up and sick. arghh. who fed Patrick smores?
6:17 a.m. some kids are up and are trying to start the fire.
7:21 a.m. everyone is up and the morning starts.
8:00 a.m. Josh Babb declares me the best dad because my bacon is cooked better than everyone else and is ready before any other day.
8:10 a.m. tom McCray out does everyone by serving his daughter pancakes and sausage patties.
8:59 a.m. Larry Babb ups the ante by serving burnt bacon and perfectly browned french toast to his kiddos. I lose my best dad status to Larry.
11:07 a.m. Ready to hit the river for a 6 miles paddle. Andrew Suddith locks the keys in the van.
11:46 a.m. we leave ready to canoe.
3:15 p.m. we return to the campsite having seen only 1 snake, 7 turtles and no drunk college students. Great day with our floatilla. 4 canoes and two kayaks. the boys and one girl do great.
4:00 p.m. kids are dried off and dressed and begging to go swimming in the same river they just left.
4:15 p.m. Larry Babb challenges the kids to roll a 200 lb log 100 yards to the campsite. the kids do it. then he says, use this hatchet to chop it in half and I will pay you all a dollar. the log is 30 inches thick. the hatchet is dull. The kids begin chopping.
5:00 p.m. dinner in many forms, Babbs (hot dogs) Suddiths and Beals (burgers) McCrays (crab cakes, cornbread and baby potatoes) and the Sheltons (bbq pork and burgers)
6:30 p.m. swimming in the river again. this is a popular activity. some fishing is happening too.
6:55 p.m. kids are still chopping the log.
7:10 p.m. fire is stoked, everyone back in the river. shelton and suddith play lifeguard. two kids still chopping the log.
7:50 p.m. more smores and still chopping.
8:10 p.m. still chopping and Cole burns more homework.
9:17 p.m. the blow torch is introduced to the crowd and sparklers are the toy of the hour. the dog is not amused and sleeps.
9:38 p.m. Jacob Babb (age 9) uses the torch to try and cut the log in two.
9:43 p.m. everyone is using the torch and hatchet in the dark. what could possibly go wrong.
10:15 p.m. sparklers gone, torch stowed away, the log is smoking, sparklers are all used up, 144 of them, and the kids prepare for bed without major injury or incident.
10:30 p.m. all is quiet and dads enjoy the fire.
6:15 a.m. Sunday the first rain falls.
7:15 a.m. we are all up, under the shelter building cooking breakfast in the midst of a huge thunderstorm. the kids are cool, breakfast is served, nothing like Saturday’s breakfast.
9:25 a.m. the rain is gone, camp begins to come down and departures begin.

We all agree it was a great weekend. We’ll do it again in October. Who is with us?