So anyway, as you might have gathered, I am in love with camping with my kids! After Thanksgiving, we took a quick weekend trip to a local campground at Huntsville State Park. The weather was cool, but the hiking was great and the kids are the very best versions of themselves when they are free to run and play and scream and sing in the woods.
One of the funniest moments of our trip was watching JoJo carry a log back to our campsite. Not just a log, a log twice the height of JoJo. He wanted to put it on the campfire. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He was determined to carry it back. So for over a mile of hiking JoJo struggled and groaned and whined and huffed and puffed. But he would not put down that stinking log. He even managed to recruit his siblings to help.
I was very puzzled by his behavior that day and I've thought a lot about it since. Something we know about JoJo is that he absolutely thrives in conditions where he gets to be a helper. He needs a job, he needs a purpose. Every second of the day! Without it he becomes restless and moody. So he gave himself a job that day and was happy as a clam when he finally dragged that log back to the site and laid it on the campfire. He also LOVES heavy work. This is related to the sensory processing junk that all my kids deal with in one form or another. His body craves that kind of exertion and it seems to help his brain stay calm. So if carrying logs around the forest makes my boy happy, then that's what we will do!!!
That's enough talking for now. Look at the pictures. Enjoy the woods with us. In fact, if you're ever in the neighborhood, join us on a camping trip. You won't be disappointed!
