We retreated as a family to tipi camp a couple of times when Edie was just a babe for a family yoga affair. This year we tried out the Family Nature retreat for the first time at the same uber relaxing venue and I challenged myself to make this holiday as simplicity stuffed as possible. So I’m so stoked to announce that I have three celebrations to celebrate in the most simplest way – wheeee!

Simplicity Celebration 1:  I packed light.

I’m pretty certain that Craig would beg to differ. But I packed light. For me anyway.

Luckily at the last minute he stopped me from shoving rain boots and my minus 40 down jacket into a duffel bag because he checks this thing out called the weather forecast.

Kid stuff other than clothes were minimal. I had to explain to the kids that if all the kids going to tipi camp brought their soccer ball the little motor boat we take to get there would sink and we didn’t want that to happen… did we? No, I thought not.

In fact all we brought along that could be consider children apparatus was two storybooks to read at bedtime. Bedtime evidently turned out to be way a way past than usual affair and this last minute bright idea resulted in over-tired flavoured tears in the end, so lesson learned: books are evil. Kidding!

Simplicity Celebration 2: I relaxed. A little.

Tipi camp is boat access only. I like to say this to myself over and over because a friend of mine who has ventured there a couple of same times as me keeps inviting me to hike in and/or out with her. I just look at her and laugh like she said something really funny and walk away.

Once the motor boat landed at the dock and the man-servants lifted me out and carried me on their shoulders to the pointiest teepee, I pretty much never saw Edie again for the rest of the weekend. She bee-lined it to a tightly bonded duo of ‘big girls’ with whom she velcroed herself to for the duration of our weekend.

I have to admit I felt kind of naked without my shadow by my side even though I was sporting about ten yards of spandex which was my retro swimsuit (which you can see me sporting by the way over yonder on the button for my ebook The Bliss Filled Mama ~ smooth segue way, no?). It smarted a little too seeing her venture off outside the realm of mama’s hawk eye and bionic smell but at the same time I was so busting with pride and happiness for her entering this new realm.

I tried to exercise the same trust in guardian angels with Kale but here we introduce the ‘little’ part of my relaxing celebration. The water – oh, the water. There he was splashing about the shallow end of the shore narrowly escaping collisions with many eight year old boy powered canoes and dancing on the dock like a little crazed Patrick Swayze- wannabe but we took the precaution of making sure the kids wore their life jackets while playing by the water and always keeping one eye on him. I think he lost five pounds from sweating under that extra foamy layer and I now have Daisy’s 360 degree peripheral vision.

Simplicity Celebration 3: I incubated.

I didn’t feel as ‘on’ or as talkative as per usual and that was okay. I like to attribute this partly to not indulging in my regular morning latte routine (even though the camp still has the espresso maker I donated to them three years ago). Instead I opted to be in the spirit of roughing it and drank regular coffee in true camping style.

But another part of it is that it’s in my nature. Believe it or not I’m an introvert. Well, borderline technically but I’m finding when I do leave me house for extended periods of time now I need to be by myself lots to recharge my bliss batteries.

Though I was feeling quiet and reflective; I had a few rich exchanges with some real cool mamas and dadas there but was mostly just drinking in the opportunity to observe how amazing parents are with their kids; in awe of the different ways we interact with our kids but how it’s all the same because it comes from the deepest well of love . It was one deep love exchange after an other, in the most mundane, summer-tinged ways ~ food bribing techniques, slathering on of sunscreen, notice giving of an impending bedtime. It was as beautiful as the surroundings.

Embracing my cozy hermit tendency vibe this weekend I took a few hikes on my own, kicked back with real intellectual read and mostly tried not to fret so much over my kids as they explore the natural world around them and grow up before my eyes. The kids are still pinky cheek from these newly acquired summer memories. Or maybe that’s from excessive layering?

How about you? Do you have a simplicity celebration to share? Leave it in the comment below or link to your post all about it! I also have a spiffy new button to share if you so choose on the side bar to place on your blog ~ widget believe it?