The countdown to summer begins

It's almost June...which means kids getting out of school, vacations, camping, holidays, etc. My neighbor Jen and I were discussing ways to keep these kids occupied this summer since my daughter plays with her youngest son. Last summer we first moved in here and I met them and felt comfortable once I got to know them, so my daughter had a blast last summer. Due to the fuel costs, my goal this summer is to have my husband drive my truck (ironically enough, our most fuel-efficient vehicle) to and from work on the days I don't have doctor's appointments or engagements. For the most part we decided no summer activities due to the fuel costs, except for soccer, which starts up in mid-August and runs into fall.

Another thing about summer- we were planning a camping trip on the Fourth of July but it is not doable at this point in time, so I compromised with my husband and we are going to try to get into a campground somewhere nearby (but not TOO close by) for Labor Day weekend. Unfortunately, the one place we looked at (Birch Bay Campground/State Park) is pretty much full to capacity, so we eliminated that one. I haven't been camping in a long time and am looking forward to it. Here's a question though- what to take food-wise? I mean, there's the usual food fare- burgers, hot dogs, pop, chips, etc. What else could we do on 1, a meager camping budget, and 2, not a lot of cooking equipment (enough to last us 2 nights, 3 days)? I'm thinking beans, but that seems a bit blahh too. How well does milk hold up for a few days if stored in a cooler full of ice? I feel like such a novice when the fact of the matter is, we used to go camping every summer when I was a child. However, the planning was left up to my parents (obviously). I just got to sit back, relax and enjoy the fun. Now I am the one who is planning this (well, with my husband's help, of course!). Should be interesting.

Another culprit of the summer is the summer heat- and that nagging lack of desire for wanting to cook. How many days can one go on eating sandwiches or cold foods without getting sick of it? My thought is to make more crockpot dishes considering it doesn't let out a lot of heat. If you have any other suggestions, I'm open to them as well.

I don't know about you- but I am looking forward to the summer, mosquitoes, heat, children home and all!