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I thought I’d start with the middle child for once.  I really think the best way to describe our recent trip to Zion National Park is to tell the story child by child. 

The way we have our car seats arranged, Isaac and Nicole sit in the middle and Charlotte sits all the way in the back by herself.  This seems to be the best arrangement because it allows me to easily buckle and unbuckle the two kids who need help and the hardest seat for me to reach is Isaac’s and he can buckle himself.  I do sometimes feel bad when we go on trips or long drives because we have a hard time hearing little Charlotte all the way in the back.  She does well to entertain herself, mostly by singing and sleeping.  In fact, I can’t think of a time that she complained about her seat, unless you count the non-verbal complaint about Zach’s music choice pictured above.

As a girl who loves to play in the dirt, She couldn’t have been happier to camp. She was constantly playing in the dirt and finding sticks and rocks.  Even the threat of spankings couldn’t keep  her hands clean for 5 minutes.  She did receive a few spanks and often when Zach called out her name she’d stand up and run away with her little hands covering her bottom as she yelled:  “don’t spank me.”  Ironically, when we got home I asked her what her favorite part of the trip was and she said “playing in the dirt.”

She was a good little camper.  She loved watching the fire, although she was sad that it was orange instead of pink.  One of her other favorite things seemed to be the “silly bus” which was “a bus attached to a bus.” 

We went on lots of little trails.  She walked most of each trail, but often insisted on holding mommy’s hand or held onto the stroller that I was pushing.  Charlotte and I often trailed the rest of the group as she walked along the dirt next to the path and would stop to pick up a rock or stick.  Once she had collected a stick she’d trace the dirt along the path with it and poke any small stream of water she saw along the way.  When she got to tired she was hoisted up to Zach’s shoulders where she happily rode along wearing her father’s adventuring hat.