Davis is Seven and we had a Campout

This weekend Davis turned seven years old. That seems so old to me. Seven! These are the golden years, where my kids love to be with me and I love to be with them and and we can do lots of fun things together because they are not babies anymore.
Davis has really matured this year. He is smart and loves to read and do math and science. He's very social and independent. He cares about how other people are feeling and about how they are perceiving him. He remains athletic and loves to swim, run, do gymnastics and ride bikes. He has also found a love of puzzles, mazes and legos. Over the last few weeks we've passed into a phase where he is extremely mercurial. He goes from happy to full on tears in a moment. We have daily fits where we had almost none for the last year. I'm figuring it's hormonal and trying to patient through this phase.
We had a party for Davis on his real birthday this year. Our book group had been wanting to do a spring campout at the river this weekend and so I decided to combine the two. Everyone came out and set up tents and we had a potluck campout themed party for Davis. We played dragon tail and did a scavenger hunt. I handed out gift boxes with whistle/compasses and flashlights and smores kits in them. My mom made honey cakes per Davis' request. They were so cute with little marzipan honey bees on top. When the kids were finishing up their cakes Michael came running out of the forest in a bear costume trying to get the kids' cakes. Davis LOVED it, but it scared the little ones.
It was a coincidence that the theme of the party was honey because when we got down to the river to set up we found a huge swarm of honey bees in the tree in front of the swimming dock. We had to move the party down to the other side of the river bottom and sneak past the bees to swim, but it all worked out fine and nobody got stung.
The weather was really warm so after the official birthday party was over, we all put on our swim suits and spent the afternoon floating on the river. It was wonderful and so refreshing. Mom and Michael brought down lots of tubes and everyone enjoyed them.
I picked up pizza for our dinner and then Pappy Hour did a brief concert. The kids made smores at the fire pit and then we all put the kids to bed. Michael and I tried the "put your kids in the tent and leave them alone till they eventually fall asleep method" which worked but took an hour and a half and disturbed all the kids around us (Whoops! Sorry!).
Then we all gathered around the fire and chatted and picked guitars and had some grown-up time. I didn't sleep well that night at all, but I'm such a light sleeper, camping outside seldom brings a good night sleep for me. I did hear a cool owl hooting.
At seven in the morning we all woke up and shared breakfast and some amazing bloody mary cocktails that Anne whipped up for us before packing up and heading home.
Davis loved his birthday weekend and spent the afternoon playing with all his new toys. Michael helped him assemble some legos and we all read his new books and went to bed EARLY. We were all exhausted.
It was a great weekend. I know I've said it a thousand times, but our family is truly blessed to have such a great circle of friends. Their company makes everything so much more fun and joyous and this weekend was no exception. Our children love their children and we always have such a good time with them.
And now we rest and regroup and head for Taos in three days. We'll spend Easter weekend there with my parents and Marcie and Ann and their kids. We are really looking forward to it.