quiet week

I'm in the middle of what's sure to be the quietest week this summer, maybe even this year. Christian and Peyton are away at Church camp atop Palomar Mountain.

Christian's moved up to the Jr. High camp, having spent two years in the Youth camp, so he was feeling pretty stoked & confident about that Monday afternoon as we arrived .

9 year old Peyton, however was arriving at camp for the very first time. Mind you, this is the child who does fine sleeping over at Grandma/Grandpa's and Nana & Grandon's, but has only attempted to sleep over at the house of his best buddy, Ivan. You see, at least 3 times, we've gotten the lonesome voice phone call between 10:00-12:00 at night, with sweet Peyton on the other end saying, I miss you....I want to come home....."

So, as I made the one hour drive up the mountain, this thought was on my mind. Would Peyton be okay without us?

As we're in line checking in, he sweetly puts his arm through mine and says, "you're staying, right?" Uhh, what do you mean, Peyton? "you're staying with me, at camp, right?" he replies, with the saddest, you wouldn't leave me, kind of look you've ever seen. I hug his shoulders, Peyton, I'm not staying, I can't stay. I have to get home and take care of Elliot & Brooks this week. I thought you understood that. (I'm being as sweet and gentle, in my answer as I can possibly be, hoping & praying he won't back out of the whole camp idea in fear.....)His puppy dog blue eyes start to well up with worried tears and he bites his bottom lip to try and fight back the anxiety....

Then he grins this huge awesome grin, jokingly punches me in the arm, and laughs, "I was just messin' with you....I'm fine!"

He got me good.
And it's weird, but I'm proud of him, both for being mature enough to go to camp, and clever enough pull a good joke on me.
I love that my kids are growing up....for many reasons.
Have a great week, boys! And I'll enjoy the peace and quiet a few more days.....

"Mommy" farewell

Christian is my oldest son. We're similar, you might say, and very close for a mother and 11 year old son.

We were driving home from San Diego last night, Brooks was asleep in his car seat and Peyton and Elliot were with Kenny at Basketball practice. A very rare moment for Christian to truly have my undivided attention and total silence at the same time.

His voice sounded serious, "Mommy, I need to talk to you about something." Okay, I said, go ahead. "Um, I've been thinking, um, that maybe I um, am getting older now and would it be okay if I called you something besides, Mommy?"

I was cool. Really. I said, absolutely! I can totally understand that, you're growing up, I figured you'd stop calling me "Mommy", sometime before you left for college. That's fine.

Then I parked the car in front of a Walgreens and turned around to assure him, I was okay with it. He, however, wasn't. Tears were trickling down his face, as he swallowed hard and said, "my throat is burning hot." Looking at my 11 year old baby, it dawned on me that this was a harder transition for him to experience that it was for me. Well if you know me at all, it doesn't take much for my faucet to turn on and participate in the emotion. I hugged him & told him I loved him. "I love you too", he said. Yeah, but I love you the most, I added. He answered with, "I love you the most, Mother."

My "Mommy" days with Christian are done.

To blog or not to blog?

To blog or not to blog? That is the question. Whether tis nobler to spare your minds the task of reading another's simple thoughts or to thrust my life, my days' adventures across the universe as if my writings were of great importance?

Yeah, I just don't know.