I have vivid memories of every camp I ever went to as a child. (There were only three, lasting between a month and two months. I liked the first one I went to (Camp Robinson Crusoe in Massachusetts), I disliked the second (a Russian camp on Long Island), and I chose the third, so yes of course, I was slated to like it (a Y camp in New Jersey). But all were memorable.
Having a Grandma Camp in the summer for some of the grandkids isn't really camp. It's just staying with grandma while parents work or do their thing. But we give it that label because to a younger child especially, being away from home alone for a week feels a little like being sent off to camp.
In past years, I developed a routine for this summer week with (most but not all) the grandkids. As they grew older, they became more independent in their play, but they still liked my imposed activities.
I couldn't plunge into activities this year. The number of grandkids with me fluctuated constantly. Sometimes there was just one. Sometimes two. Sometimes three. Sometimes four. And I would never know how many would be there until the last minute. Nor how and where I would need to return some of them to either another activity or home. This was hard enough, but in addition, because there was another grandmother visiting the local kids (a last minute thing), none of those kids could sleepover with Primrose. Understandable, but still, a real disappointment. And, of course, I am at least mentally and sometimes physically distracted by the health crisis of my friend.
Sounds, pretty chaotic, doesn't it?
I worried. A lot. (And therefore slept little.) About my friend, yes, but also about Primrose. She looks forward to this week, and so do her cousins. In the past, they swam, we went on nature hikes, visits to farms, to lavender fields, to our botanical gardens. We did daily art projects. And of course, there were the famous sleepovers and on those, the kids were the ones who didn't get a ton of sleep but oh, the excitement of those nights!!
This year I tried to plug in some favorites: a trip to the movies, a trip to the mall (hey, they were greatly in favor of this!). The weather was all wrong for water play and I couldn't do excursions because the days were so chopped up. We had no big family dinners, no special meals out (except for Culvers). I didn't think I could manage a restaurant with four kids of varying ages and very different food preferences.
But, as it turns out, kids are resilient. Adaptable. They can pivot faster that most adults can. And they like pizza and corn and there's always plenty of that around. Steffi's House was much easier too -- Two bathrooms, more space. And then there is Millie -- a great distraction, especially for the two Chicago girls. True, keeping my pup quiet was an added challenge for me, but we all managed!
I suppose the toughest hours were for Primrose, at the end of the day, after the cousins left, and for me after Primrose went to bed. Because I worried. My friend bounced from better to worse in a matter of hours. (She bounced back again to better, but of course, that took longer.)
I would like to believe that the kids will still remember the highlights (and there were plenty of those), much as I remember my camps' highlights. That my stress was well under cover and that I teased them as much as always. Kids dont notice bags under the eyes. They think grownups are all weird anyway, so what we see as odd behavior is, to them, indeed odd-- just like all adult behavior, which, to them is plain nuts.
Today, the morning was for me downright relaxing. I walked the dog and fed everyone -- all easy peasy, since my daughter was here to keep Primrose on task.
We didn't linger at home too long because my older girl was expecting us -- we had offered to help again with setting up for the garage sale. And Primrose had a morning of play with Snowdrop -- that was definitely a high point for her.
Millie was delighted to be back in the familiar doggie daycare. She'd been perfectly angelic at home with people coming and going, and it felt good to reward her with a day of the predictable and fun.
I picked up a Culver's lunch for all and then we worked and talked and worked some more and then it was time to take my younger girl and Primrose to the bus stop, so that they could get on their bus home, to Chicago.
I had two hours before I had to pick up Millie. I spent them watering my front garden. It needed that, and I needed that. Ed came over...
... I fed him some leftovers and then evening came and it was just Millie and me.
There are aspects of camper chaos that I really do miss. And I love nothing more than to have several generations here in the house with me and this is how my week ended. The quiet of the house now is unnerving. I need to get used to it again!
But I need the rest. Most definitely, I need the rest. I almost want to go upstairs and tell Primrose to turn out the light already. And then I remind myself that maybe tonight I should be the one turning out the light already.
with so much love...
