Drinking down the last dregs of summer

My dad called me today to see if I was still in Barcalona.  It was a subtle hint to post something.

I told him I was still in Europe and didn't have Internet in a desperate attempt to buy myself some time.

The truth is that for some odd reason (peer pressure) I decided to go to girls camp with Bri for a week and for another odd reason (insanity) I decided that we could paint our own house and save ourselves $5,000 dollars.  That is actually true; however, I fear that the defense lawyer I'll require after I strangle  a couple of kids might require that money as a retainer thus I will not end up saving anything.

Preparation for our Upcoming Vacation

Status Updates

Me:  So, not ready. 

Husband:  In process of coming home from Germany.

Brianne:  Needs to pack for camp (she's leaving on Monday) and for Utah

Jacob:  Needs to write two book reviews for school

William:  Hates to fly … really, really hates to fly!

Elizabeth:  Hates to do her jobs … really, really hates to do her jobs!

Freedom is in sight

Well, at least for the kids.  My busy season is fast approaching.  Tomorrow is Bri’s last day. Wednesday is Jake’s and Lizzy’s.  And Will gets next week off.  Bri leaves for a youth trip Thursday morning.  And on Friday I’m taking Jake and Lizzy to Six Flags.  Marcy’s husband Tom and Dav are coming.  Marcy said she didn’t want to go and volunteered to take Will off the bus when she gets Pete.  I, not being one to pass on an opportunity, took her up on her offer.  I’ll admit I wasn’t looking forward to taking Will without my husband because he pinches at Six Flags … a lot!

Saturday

Will went to JORDAN’s birthday party today.  His name deserves to be capitalized because Will has been writing JORDAN’S name on as much as his school work as he can get away with for the last three years.  And he’s called multiple people JORDAN (usually with his hand held sideways and cupped over his mouth) for years.  When we arrived at Build-A-Bear JORDAN ran up to Will to say hello and help him choose a bear.  Will is not really into stuffed animals and I think that store is visually overwhelming for him.  I think he’d rather spend the time lying on fake tub that blows air – and, oh yes, I let him – trying to type consecutive years on the computer or playing with the stuffing machines.  But Jordan (I’ve stopped capitalizing his name now because it was annoying me) took Will over to the wall and made suggestions.  Will choose the same animal Jordan did.

Imitation!

Jordan dressed his owl as Woody and Will, with prompting from Jordan, dressed his as Buzz.  Then the kids went to the food court for lunch.  I met a new student at Will school who plays the guitar, and loves rock music from the 70s.  He hugged Will and my heart melted.  Michelle one of Will's old therapists from school showed up and Will started calling me Michelle. (Darn it!  He hadn't called me Michelle very much during the last year and I hoped it was fading off completely.) After two hours Will was done and in the frazzle of chasing him around the food court for the second time I took home someone else’s bear.  But I dropped the bear off at their house so all was well.

Then we took the kids to Salisbury beach.  It was a great beach; although, I was a little nervous about sharks.  Every year there are more sighting of Great Whites in Cape Cod but I didn’t say anything to my kids because I’m trying not to pass on my irrational fears to the next generation.  

Best quote of the day:  On the way home from the beach we stopped to get something to eat.  Lizzy, referring to her fries, said in disgust, “they taste like potatoes!”

Winding Down

Day camps end this week.  Swim team ends next week, and Bri will be gone for a week of sleep-away camp in New Hampshire.  Will’s summer vacation starts the week of August 16^th.  He’ll go to lose the training wheels that week.  (I want him to learn how to ride a bike so badly that I tense just thinking about it!)  We’re thinking about going to Virginia Beach the following week.  I called my friend who just moved to Pennsylvania and we are going to hang out with them on the way down.  We have kids almost identical in ages but they have one bonus and Will isn’t interested in playing so it doesn’t exactly work out.  It will be great to see them for the first time in three years.  Alycia is funny.  She asked if we would be there on Sunday.  If so, she was going to ask over some of her other friends with autistic kids and fill the house . . . it’s nice to feel wanted.

It’s Super Fun Here

My mother-in-law is here this week.  Unfortunately, my husband is at scout camp with Jake.  I know it’s great planning; but my father-in-law had a conference in Maine this week, and the date of Jake’s scout week was set by the troop.  So, I guess it was meant to be but it’s still a little sad.  My husband’s absence during at least part of the time we have visitors is kind of our family’s personal tradition.

Last year I planned activities for my kids and mother-in-law almost every morning.  I think I wore her out.  This year I went in the opposite direction.  I made her drink two green smoothies and sadly haven’t taken her anywhere but Target and BJs.  (Nothing but good times here!)  But between Lizzy’s 8:30-12:30 summer camp schedule, Will’s 8:00-3:00 school schedule, therapy Tuesday and Wednesday, a Wednesday grant writing seminar, swim meets on Tuesday and Thursday, swim practice Monday and Wednesday, a piano lesson, a private swimming lesson for Lizzy, a play date today.  I’m kind of busy.  Fortunately, Jake’s not here so I don’t have to fit in his summer camp, writing tutoring session (that takes 2 hours with drive time) and scouts.  

I’m done with summer.  Well, not really because I’m very excited for Will to learn how to ride a bike!

The First Summer Wednesday

Did things irrevocably change between the time I was a child and now?  I never went to day camps (well, really to anything).  I read and played during the summer.  And that was pretty much it.  Today I got Will ready for school, sent him off, encouraged the kids to do their jobs and then I left to teach my two classes at the Y.  I stopped at the store for bread and milk on the way home.  Ate lunch.  Took the kids to the library to sign them up for summer reading and get some books.  I dropped Bri off at her friend’s house to hang out for a couple of hours before her piano lesson.  Then I met Will’s bus at Marcy’s house.  Will has therapy from 3:15 to 5:15; when that ends I’ll load everyone in the car, drop Lizzy off at Cat’s house because she is taking Lizzy to swim team.  I’ll pick up Bri from piano and drop her off at someone else’s house for a ride to a Young Women’s service project.  I exchange Bri for a boy I will take to scouts with Jake.

Linda says if I end the night with the four kids I started with she’ll buy me a pony!

The Summer Grind

School is not even out yet but I’m exhausted.  Granted it’s my own fault but I like to blame it on the summer anyway.  Swim team practices started on Tuesday and even though only Lizzy and Bri agreed to participate this summer it still involves three or four drives between our house and the pool.  If I can’t leave Will at home I have to find something for him to do while Lizzy is swimming.  It’s not fair to expect him to wait and watch other kids swimming.  (Besides -- the one time I tried it last year he took off his shirt and tried to jump in the pool.  I stopped him but screaming was involved.)  However, I realized (I know it only took a year –shut up) there is a lovely park with walking paths next to the pool.  I’ll take Will for a walk while we wait for Lizzy.  He’ll love that!  When I take him on walks around our neighborhood he asks for a piggyback and tries to make me carry him.

Mom ... Mom ... Mom!

Bri is away at sleep away camp this week. My husband is in Palo Alto. And I’m a little lonely. My friend’s son is away for six weeks and I feel a ton of sympathy for her. If it were Bri, about week three, I’d have to go bust her out!

Lizzy and Jake are spending their time together arguing. I get to hear things like: “Lizzy went in my room! I hate it when she goes in my room! Can I get an alarm?” And all I can think of is that he wants a cage hovering over his door ready to drop on Lizzy when she puts a toe in his room. It wouldn’t work … except probably on William.

But Lizzy isn’t the innocent victim. For over a week she had a sign on her door that read No Boys Allowed! In her defense she did mean both Jake and Will -- but Will ignored the sign. But listening to their arguing is causing me to seriously consider becoming a nun. Oh … wait, I’m not catholic and it’s too late to do me any good!

At this point, I’m waiting for the “she’s looking at me” or the “he’s breathing” complaint.

Summer is kicking my butt!

Sculpture and Quirky Modern Art

On Thursday, I took my kids and my mother-in-law to the DeCordova Museum & Sculpture Park. It was so cool. I had gone before and looked at the sculptures outside but had never gone inside. I love this museum. Attention visitors: we have a new stop on our itinerary!

Unfortunately, not everyone loved it quite as much as I did. One of my children who will remain nameless started complaining about being hungry before we even stepped out of the van. When that same child heard a museum guide mention a café, the museum ceased to exist as an independent entity and became something that existed for the sole purpose of enclosing a café! When I said we were not eating at the café all the good in the world died and all that was left was despair and horror.

Since I exist for the sole purpose of torturing my children; I felt that my work for the day was done.

And More Camping

Last night we started with three children sleeping in the tent. Then Bri came in because they wouldn’t leave her alone. About 10 minutes later Lizzy came in. I kept waiting for Jake but he fell asleep out there. Bri ended up sleeping in Lizzy’s bed and Lizzy slept in Jake’s.

Post Script

It started thundering last night so after thinking about the lightning that struck the tree in my neighbor’s yard, which threatened my electrical wires; I decided to bring my kids inside the house last night at 12 o’clock.

This morning they were all confused about why they were inside the house when they woke up. I told them we obviously have fairies in our yard.

Camping, baby

Marcy and I set up my tent in the backyard a couple of days ago. Jake and Lizzy were wild to sleep in it. Tuesday night I said they could sleep in it once I got back from picking up Bri from an ice cream sculpting (eating) activity. By the time I got home Jake was already in his bed and when I asked him if he wanted to go outside he blearily replied that it was too late and he was in bed. So, Lizzy armed with a koala Webkinz and Bri armed with a flashlight and two books slept out there.

In many ways this is camping at its best. I slept in my air conditioned bedroom while my children enjoyed the great outdoors. They had access to bathrooms and a kitchen. We didn’t have to pack anything or drive anywhere. I didn’t have to sleep on the ground. It didn’t matter that my husband was in Delaware. And most importantly I had a TV to help Will fall asleep.

I’m trying to figure out if I could substitute this for actual camping. Maybe I’ll ban my kids from the house for a couple of days. They can forage in the backyard for food (we have a lot of wildlife – my husband saw three wild turkeys a couple of days ago!) If they get really hungry I can throw food off the deck. We can dig a latrine in the woods behind the house. Recycling is picked up on Fridays – so they’d have magazines for toilet paper. We’ll call it Survivor Backyard: Whoever Survives is the Winner. I almost think it could work, especially if I put Bri in charge of challenges. But ultimately it would fail. The lure of electronics and indoor plumbing is too strong for my children. The TV, Gamecube and DS are more powerful than any force of nature. I truly believe that Jake could be swept away by a tornado and still not put his Gameboy down.

But if this counts as camping, I could expand on the idea. If they could spend all day at a neighbor’s house and return home only to sleep in the tent, it would be just like a sleep away camp (only cheaper). Or I could film it as a reality show. I would just call it a psychological experiment when DSS showed up at my door. We will see how long sleeping on the ground holds any appeal for the kids. But they’ll get a real camping experience tonight because I think it’s going to rain on them!