It's the most wonderful time of the year - Camp Edition

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  Do you hear that?  Yep!  It's silence.  The minions are away at camp and I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee and a full day stretching out ahead of me.  What to do, what to do?

I dropped them off yesterday, driving the hours to the camp site, 5 boys in the car.  I will not tell you all the wonderful sights and smells of that car ride.  Needless to say, I was elated when we reached the drop off point.  My first thought was:

"Is anyone working here of legal drinking age?"

But, of course, that did not to deter me from dropping all of their crap off in a big pile at the front door to their room and happily skipping and jumping back to the car.

My conscience tried to make me feel bad, "Isn't it odd that you spend so much time trying to find the right baby sitter, but you're dropping your kids off with all these other kids with out a single background check?  And you're signing that waiver without even reading through any of the blah, blah, blah you could die stuff?"

I think it is the lure of freedom that muddies our brains.  Sure, their counselor has dred locks, looks about 14 years old, AND just called me "Bra."  I am sure he is more than qualified of taking care of my children for 5 days, I mean that's nothing.  I've had them for 13 years so far and haven't killed them yet.  They're pretty resilient.

As I set them up, I learned a few things about overnight camp with boys.

Trash bags are your best method of transporting your children's camp items.  Because suitcase spontaneously explode the moment they hit the floor of their room.  Trash bags also are a great way to scoop everything off of the floor on the last day and "pack efficiently."  (this was explained to me by a room mate who told them to save their trash bags!)

Do not try to be a "good mother" and diligently pack for your children.  They will be ridiculed by their bunkmates, some of them specifically saying, "Why did you bring shampoo, a hairbrush and soap?  Are you planning on staying clean?"

Trying to get that photo of the start of camp is mortifying to your children.  Better to sneak around the building to the back window and get the picture of them without their knowledge.

Relax.  They got this.  Especially when, after driving the 4 hours back to home, I get a text 

Alex is on his way to the ER.  My son texts.

WHAT????  I reply back.

My son replies , "Why are you freaking out?" 

WHAT HAPPENED?   THE ER as in EMERGENCY ROOM.  I type in.

He's fine.  My son texts back.

Then why to the ER.  I reply starting to calm down.  Could I loose my 5 days of peace?

Because he hurt his finger on the trampoline.  He replies back.  The food is good here.

Again the promise of a quiet week muddies my brain.  OK, it is only a hyperextended finger.  No biggie, they'll splint it and he'll just have to be careful, right?  You already paid for camp.  I'm not driving another 4 hours to go get him.

I'll take the son's text to heart.  "He's fine."

Oh, it's the most wonderful time of the year.