A Very Busy Week

At the beginning of the week, knowing what we were in store for, I made sure to sit down and breath deeply and take a deep breath while looking at the sunset.

I checked out the camping gear in preparation for the big camp out.

Mad props to Coleman for putting part numbers for all components on the outside of the tent bag!

I cleaned out the turtle tank because she needed it and because Martin came over to help us test another phone carriers reception at our place.

Save money check other data plans is the moral of our cell phone bill.

Megan fed her baby some huge leaves of lettuce so that the turtle could ride and eat simultaneously.

Kiernan had his first pack meeting of the year. We met the new Mount Airy Police Chief.

It was a good meeting. Kiernan never asked how much longer and he played happily with Alex.

I thought about how overwhelmed he was at this time last year and felt better about the world and the future and my boy.

I took some pictures and put them through the Prisma filter. I loved this one of breakfast before school.

This is what our life is like just now. Its a little messy and full of electronic devices and together time.

We eat breakfast together every morning (minus daddy who is off to work already).

We eat dinner together every evening, sometimes with Nana and sometimes not.

Too many meals are not around the table but we have a few.

This time feels important in that little things mean a lot way.

My cousin Michelle got to come to Maryland for some training this week so we got together on Thursday evening for a meal (Cheesecake factory yum!).

We hung out until well past out bedtimes and goofed around.

It was lovely to see her.

On Friday the kids had the day off school due to Frederick's delightfully civilized tradition of letting the kids out of school for Fair Day.

We went to the fair.

Delightfully David took half a day off of work and joined us.

We saw rescue horses and got to pet them.

Kiernan practiced chewing like a cow.

I really loved these two.

We wandered around the livestock barns for as long as I could keep the kids there.

Then it was off to the rides.

Megan was tall enough for all the rides she wanted to try. Kiernan got to try bumper cars.

I got to avoid all the rides due to the presence of my knight in shining David.

When we were concerned we asked Kiernan to keep a close eye on his sister. He guided her through the fun house maze with a hand on her the whole way.

They get on very well most of the time and they were adorably companionable at the fair.

David got a deep fried twinkie and I got some great memories to take with me to work on Friday night.

On Saturday morning Kiernan and I bundled into the car (packed up in the middle of the previous night) and drove off to West Virginia for the camp out.

Kiernan had a miserable time last year at the big camp out. I was very concerned that he try it again with a better outcome. This as a sort of get back on that horse lesson.

He is a big fan of camping and he enjoys Cub Scouts but for some reason (people and games) he is not even a little pleased by the combination of the two.

He liked the music of the church service and hated the gnats in the field.

He was quite nervous about the games so I let him poke around the camp and help me set up the tent instead of sending him straight off to the activities. His Cub Master came over and told him that he could join the others or stay with me. He said that he would help me set up if Kiernan wanted to join the others. I thought it was very kind of him to come over and let Kiernan know that it was ok to take his time.

Kiernan was worried that he would be in trouble but the reassurance helped a great deal.

We went to watch the games. I told Kiernan that he only had to do one.

He got into the dodge ball line up (the last game for the morning).

Dodge ball is the game that messed him up so much last year.

His friend Alex in an attempt to be helpful told the team that Kiernan should be the medic (a protected position). Someone else wanted to be the medic some other person didn't want Kiernan to be medic. There was a great deal of yelling. Kiernan ran to me crying. He said that the other kids hated him.

He joined the game. He was supremely un-cautious. He wanted a ball to throw so he stood on the front line and waved his hands about. An adult on the other team in an attempt to do a trick throw screwed up and slammed Kiernan in the mouth.

Kiernan came crying to me.

After calming him down and talking about revenge (his idea not mine) I joined him in the game in an attempt to shield his face but to keep him in the game. 

The game lasted forever. He regained his confidence.

The adults were kicked out.

The big kids (Boy Scouts) were kicked out.

The lines were moved up.

Kiernan got smashed in the face (ear this time) trying for a ball.

He came crying to me.

He got a fair amount of adult sympathy.

He took this picture to demonstrate his displeasure.

I used my phone to go to amazon and order a dodge ball so that by next year he will be a better player.

Part of the problem at least is that he has now only played it twice so he's just no good at it.

Part of the problem is that he is just spectacularly oblivious and doesn't see the balls or who has the balls or where he should stand to avoid the balls.

Part of the problem is that he needs to toughen up a bit.

I can help with some or all of these and intend to do so with as much attention to his temperament as I can.

After the games there was a line of handshaking and good games. There were some hard feelings and Kiernan got punched in the gut in the line.

The Assistant Pack Master (Alex's dad) gave Kiernan the balls to hold, lectured the boys on good sportsmanship and had the line go again.

I thought the adults handled things really very well over the weekend and was grateful and impressed by it.

After the games were over we had snacks and Alex came and hugged Kiernan and then David and Megan came and we had tacos and played with Alex and the kids played on a great tire swing.

They had a lot of fun. I settled down for a chat with David.

Kiernan came crying to me 5 minutes later covered in rocks with a small black eye and bleeding knees and elbows.

Attack of the tire swing.

The Assistant Scout Master came over and showed Kiernan some good knee scars earned at about the same age and cheered him up.

We had some quiet time in the tent reading.

After lunch and quiet time we went for a hike.

We had a scavenger hunt list of things to find.

bone check

seed pod check

We hiked for about a mile and a half (the short hike for the smaller boys).

Then back to the tent for a rest before the afternoon activities.

The kids worked on knot tying and camp cooking and tent pitching.

Then after dinner we got ready for skits and stories and songs.

The boys were wild with fire and sugar and being outside at night. The jokes were cheesy and silly and had the kids roaring in appreciation.

Kiernan was happy enough but stayed with me instead of sitting with the other kids.

He got up to do the skit with his den that he had learned last week.

The boys had changed the order and not told him. He said his line (originally the first line but now mysteriously switched to the last line) at the wrong time.

he recovered and they finished the skit to applause and laughter.

He came straight to me. I told him great job recovering. Alex came to hug him again.

He burst into tears and begged to go home.

I tried to talk him out of it and couldn't without down right insisting.

We went back to camp and he made a s'more. We packed up the tent and tried the campfire cobbler.

We went home.

Megan was having a sleepover in this ingenious tent set up.

I was so tired from the day that even getting home was a struggle.

I wish so much that he had stayed.

I feel like after sleep he would have been happier about the whole experience. I feel like I failed by not convincing him to try.

I feel like it would have been cruel and needlessly so to keep him there.

It was a long day. 

He said he doesn't want me to sign him up for things without asking anymore.

He said that he will try other things next year. He said that maybe we will not camp with scouts next year but hike and play instead.

The whole thing was rough on both of us. I was disappointed and floundering and he was overwhelmed and lashing out by the end.

mommy fail

On Sunday morning David cut up the floor and attached the mud bench to the floor and the wall. There is some spectacularly yellow dizzy patterned lanolium under that Pergo.

I went to work.

ug

Too much workin gon the weekends and I am doing less than the rest because I am the only one with kids.

Then I went home and did a 5 page paper for my lab safety class.

When I got home we took the dog for a good walk and sang little red riding hood songs and put the kids to bed.

Meg's missed me all weekend. David heroically took over all the household duties with me at work and doing school work and being exhausted from the camping. He is a champion partner. Everyone should look for one just like him!

Kiernan spent the day resting and playing video games and throwing up, as expected.

Once the kids were asleep I dyed my hair blue.

Now my hair is blue