littlepieceofheaven: 2014

Monday, June 23, 2014

Summer Camp!

This year, both of my girls went off to summer camp - sleep away camp - for the first time. St. Crispin's Episcopal Camp in Wewoka, OK is where they spent their week last week. This camp is not unfamiliar to me. I lost my favorite babysitters every summer to this camp, for more weeks than I would have liked! And just when I thought camp was over for them, I lost them again when they decided to become counselors and serve on staff there. The stories I would hear from them and many others sealed the deal that this would be the place for my girls when they decided they were ready for camp. These "babysitters" of mine are now in their mid twenties with real jobs and live in other cities. What are the chances they would end up at St. Crispin's with my girls last week?? Apparently, not bad, because as luck would have it, they were called in to help with this extra large group of 3rd-5th graders!! How awesome is that? They were my secret link into camp - posting little notes and updates for me on FaceBook. They know firsthand what a helicopter parent I can be! It was more than fun and so reassuring to hear almost immediately what was going on with them. Cannot thank them enough.

So last weekend, we prepared, packed, talked about my summers at Camp Bratton Green Episcopal camp with my buddies (more stories than they were probably interested in), drove a quick 2 hours over to Wewoka, found their cabin, made up beds, unpacked and left them there. For the entire week. Kate seemed just fine, but Claire was very tearful. Man, that was hard but I am so glad I stayed strong and let them go. They had a wonderful time, met lots of new friends, had some time to be on their own and know "hey, I can do this and do it well"! Claire is begging for a second week over there in late July. Kate can't wait to go back next year. I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship with St. Crispin's. I'm a fan. All in all - it was great.

Will? Well, he missed them. There's no doubt about it. And I realized this week that letting go can be a good thing. Maybe I can turn my propellers off more often and relax. I also realize that these girls spend a great deal of time with their little brother. I should be more thankful for that. I think we all appreciate each other a little more having spent a week apart.

Now, off to do all that laundry. This week was an eye opener regarding the laundry too. I had almost none while they were gone. How many outfits do they wear every day?!?

See ya next summer, St. Crispin's (unless Claire talks her Dad into another week!)

Drop off day - registering

Finding our cabin

sisters

Sad little brother

One last smile and wave from Claire before we left

PICK UP DAY! YAY!

Can't hug you tight enough, Kate!

Claire-EEEE!

Together again!

Love my Claire

Camp songs and Eucharist with the girls

Art from camp

Jennifer!! We love you!

Kirsten! We love you!

BOO!! We love you! (Camp dog)

Kate and her friend Abby with one of their counselors

Me and my "babysitter"

The girls and Katie, their counselor

Monday, April 28, 2014

Cowgirl

Oklahoma Land Run day at Monte Cassino

3rd grade

Oklahoma, from my point of view

One thing I had to give up when I moved to the pasture was trees. The big, beautiful, mature ones that produce all that great shade. We've tried - we really have - to plant lots of trees. I think two or three have made it and are currently around 9 feet tall. Not much of a tree to climb or shade to sit under!

The trade off is all of that wide open space, the wide open view of the sky and the landscape. The sunsets and sunrises can be startling they are so bold and beautiful. The sky out here at night just amazes me. I know those stars have been there since the beginning of time, but they look different to me now. It's just enough darker, more vast - it seems like you can see every single star in the universe. It's not often I have a minute to look up these days, though. But when I do, I usually stop right where I am, car door still open, backpacks, lunch boxes and papers from the day in my hands, kids running past me to get inside, Blue jumping up to greet me. I stop right there, head tilted all the way back and just stare in amazement. I have tried to get the kids to join me, stop them from stampeding inside long enough to see how amazing the night sky is, but they have other things on their minds. I take exactly three deep breaths, all alone with Blue waiting patiently beside me, and then head inside to join the chaos.

These are some of my favorite pictures. The first two are recent storms, neither of which were very severe, thankfully. This is my new interest. I don't really enjoy seeing a big storm brew, but lately I can't help but grab my camera! Wish I knew enough about photography to know how to capture some of those starry skies?? Maybe one day.

One of my favorites, by far.
Sunrise on a Sunday morning. Unbelievable.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Babysitting

I have said it before, Kate is my right hand gal. Fairly certain I could not function nearly as well on a day to day basis without her. Both of my girls are helpful, really, but Kate is my go to girl. She rarely seems bothered or inconvenienced by my..."Hey, Kate?" Which is always followed by "Can you please....." Could be anything. I almost never get anything but compliance. This is so nice and I am so thankful. BUT, every once in a while, she just doesn't want to do it. She's 10, she's got a million other things she'd like to do. She doesn't want to find Will's shoes, chase Blue out of the pond, help Will put on yet another tattoo, fix something on my phone, chop the carrots for the soup, feed Wilson or find that Lego that has been missing for a week! She just doesn't. I usually let her off the hook because for that one thing she doesn't feel like doing, she's made numerous deposits into the Bank of Helping Mom.

Last Thursday, Bill and I were going to a dinner with some friends....a nice, dress up dinner for a great cause, live auction, the whole nine yards. I had to buy a dress and all the jewelry to go with it. That kind of dinner. Claire was spending the night out and I had come home after school with Will and Kate. My plan, of course, was to get Kate to play with Will while I got ready. She didn't want to. Really didn't want to. I couldn't let her off the hook, had to get ready. Yes, Kate, you have to. Sorry. I need to get in the shower. Just walk around with him out there and make sure he doesn't fall into the ponds. G'pa will be here in about an hour. I have got to get dressed.

No words from her - no eye roll - just a look that told me, "I don't want to". And I looked back at her with a look that said, "You have to." So, she did. I watched for a minute just to make sure they were okay. Then I got my camera because they were kind of cute, Will riding his tractor and Kate walking there with him, making sure he was safe even though a little uninterested. Then I noticed she was showing him all kinds of things, starting to skip rocks, starting to have fun. So I kept taking pictures. I think these tell a really great story. They are absolutely two of a kind. They are the two that were most similar as toddlers...busy, beyond busy! They were both into everything under the sun except their own toys. Messy, messy, messy. If there is dirt or mud involved, sign them up! I see so much of Kate in Will.

I didn't get ready right then. I took pictures and watched my kids talking, playing and enjoying each other. Totally worth it.

I did eventually get dressed and make it to that dinner, thanks again to my right hand gal.

Not wanting to do this

In charge of Will. Not how I wanted to spend my afternoon.

Slow down, keep it in the road

Careful...

Visiting Bubbles and Thunder

Keeping him straight

A little small talk

Hmmm, this could be fun. Let's see what we
can find to throw in the pond

Let's find a good one

Flinging rocks

This is my favorite one...it's like she's teaching him the art of finding that
ginormous rock that will make the BIGGEST splash!

OOH, good one Will!

Digging in the dirt - this is where you'll find them.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Potential Disaster aka Spring Break 2014

We've never gone on a trip for Spring Break and I can't say that I was "excited" about this trip my husband put together. Anxious would be a more appropriate word. Why? For starters, I've never skiid. My girls have never skiid. My just turned 4 year old has never skiid. Add to it that we have had a frigid winter, the thought of driving 10 hours only to unload into more snow and cold, strap long flat things onto our feet and slide down a snowy mountain over and over again, hauling endless gear for myself and the kids, listening to "I"m cold!" or "I can't do this!" or "I don't like this"....it just didn't sound like the Spring Break of my dreams. This is exactly how I imagined it...sort of (add to it a few major wipe outs by me, possible sprains, breaks, etc.) Man, I'm an optimist! But this is how I imagined it. For weeks.

I tried not to share my vision with anyone else, pretending to be SO excited. We got all packed up, borrowed all kinds of cool ski stuff from our friends, the Ebys (who make skiing sound and look so cool!) and got ready for what I knew was going to be a slight disaster. But, here we go...let's give this a try and then we'll know we aren't a ski family.

Wrong. Proving once again that I can dream up quite a "worst case scenario". Must I do this all the time?

I learned several things.

1) Kids can learn to ski, quickly, and without much fear. Not just my kids - all kids. I was amazed at my little rock stars, feeling so proud....then I looked around the bunny slope and could see that most kids were skiing quite well. It was the tall people, like me, on the bunny slope that looked tense, awkward and nervous.

2) I did not wipe out (not in a major way, anyway!) And it's great. Really fun.

3) Ski instructors are patient, at least ours were anyway. The kids are easy - it's the adults! Wow, are they patient!

4) I must be careful not to transfer my fears to my oldest daughter. The other two are fearless by nature and pay me absolutely no attention. Kate watches me - closely.

Anyway, we had a great time! Loved Red River - great place for beginners - so friendly, easy access to everything, not crowded. We will be back...and maybe we are a ski family! Learned that too.