where wildly different is perfectly normal
A day eleven years in the making
A day eleven years in the making

A day eleven years in the making

When A was a newborn, lo those many years ago, he was not a sleeper. Understatement. He was a high-intensity kid. Understatement. He requires hands-on, nearly non-stop attention and even when he’s sleeping or out of the house, the MomRadar is constantly whirring and beeping, waiting for the klaxon horn to sound. Understatement. What has gotten me through the sleepless newborn hours, and the MomRadar never getting a break, is knowing that someday he’d go off to summer camp and he’d be someone else’s concern for a few days.

That day has come.

A day eleven years in the making, A left for scout camp yesterday morning. A full week in the wild woods of Wisconsin, with leaders and older scouts not only keeping an eye on him but pushing him to be better and better. He and I have never been apart that long. I may go off for a few days with friends, or a vacation with Tom, but I don’t think it’s even been as long as a week. It’s sure never been the case of him leaving. And as much as I love that kid, and thrill to teach that mind, I can’t put into words what a relief it is to have a respite. He can’t call, they discourage writing (they work to keep homesickness at bay), there is no way to contact each other except in extreme emergency. And frankly, that is wonderful. Whether he’s having the time of his life or is so miserable storm clouds hang above his head, I won’t know until Saturday evening. It’s not my problem.

It’s delightfully quiet having only J around. He’s reveling in being the only kid in the house, something he’s never experienced. There’s no sibling bickering, no 4 pm witching hour (oh yeah, it still exists, it’s when A’s meds have started to wear off and now he’s riling up his brother and the dog), it’s just calmer. And later this week J will go spend several days with my parents at their new weekend house in Wisconsin (I had the pleasure of naming it…Wits’ End), so Tom and I will get several kid-free, anniversary week days. We’ll keep painting, ’cause we really know how to party on an anniversary.

I’m sure I’ll miss my boy towards the end of the week, and I can’t wait to hear all about his camp experience. I expect he’ll have grown taller and put on weight (Oh LORD I hope he grows taller and puts on weight). But for now, it is a relief not having to be ON all the time. Not just ON, but Super Duper Double Secret Probation ON. I can relax for a few days.

It was worth the wait.

10 Comments

    1. Jen

      Bwahahahahhaha!!!! I just guffawed in the library. 😉
      Sadly, most of that time WILL be spent painting. We are going to take Friday night and have dinner and a movie. But the rest of it is clean/patch/repair/paint/curse at all the previous owners for the WTF? issues we keep finding/painting.

  1. Suzan

    YAY!!!!! DOUBLE YAY!!!!! Totally relate to this, love my kids but would really just like “normal intensity” for a week. You will be refreshed and happy to have them both back and ready to face another year with vigor! Plus, the house will be painted, you and your hubby will be reaquainted and have had a chance to relearn how to work on a project together besides your wonderful kids! YAY!!!

  2. BeckyG

    I’m waiting for that day which will be awhile coming I think, my son is almost 3 and we have another one on the way, due in Feb. (Please dear Lord let him/her be an easy baby!)

    1. Jen

      That was the EXACT same prayer I was saying eight years ago this week. I lucked out. If J had been as high-intensity as his brother, I’m not sure I’d be a functioning member of society. 😉

  3. We just had a full week with only one, and even tho it was Mr. Intensity who stayed home, it was still calmer. There was no brother with buttons to push, no one to fight (with?)for attention, and no one to even talk to part of the time. It was amazingly quiet having an only, even tho that only is normally The Loud One.

    But, oh did I miss having him gone for so long! I’d never experienced it either, and I found it to be harder than I expected.

    I thought he’d come home taller and older looking, but he didn’t. And we’re still gradually trying to find out what he did all week. We’ll keep learning bits and pieces slowly, but we’ll never really know with him. Had it been the younger, we’d have heard every detail within minutes of his return.

    1. Jen

      I know what you mean. If only A were home, it would still be quieter. Not QUITE as quiet, as the kid just can’t shut up sometimes, but quieter. I guess I didn’t realize just how much the boys play off of each other. Still not missing him quite yet. It’ll hit me on Thursday.

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