Go West, Young Man

I might as well admit it--I have not had the cheeriest disposition today. Is it because my bathroom floor was absolutely grotesque (talk to Peyton, aka "Miss Filthyfeet") and I had to mop it? Nope, it needed to be done anyway. Is it because I had too much laundry to put away and not enough hangers to go around? Nah, that's a fairly common problem around here. Is it because we spent a small fortune to see Wall-E and didn't even get popcorn and Coke? No, not the reason.

Well, okay, that certainly didn't help, and I was reminded why we NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER go see first-run movies. At least Wall-E was worth it. Pixar always delivers.

No, the reason I have been glum-faced today is two-fold: First, the light of my life and the joy of my heart, my baby, my first-born, my precious Tyler, turned twelve today (hence the outing to the movies). This shouldn't be. I am heart-broken. He looks twelve. He acts twelve. (And occasionally five.) He isn't a baby anymore. He is growing up and becoming a young man. Hang on, let me get a Kleenex . . . .

So, celebrating his birthday was bad enough, but the other reason for my somber mien was that as bad as that was, I spent the greater part of the day getting him packed and ready to go to church camp. No, no, no, the packing wasn't what bothered me. The leaving! It's the leaving! I seem to lack that ability some parents have to put on a happy face and say to my smiling offspring, "Have a great time, champ! See you in a week!" Instead, today I erupted without warning into convulsive fits of weeping and wailing at least five times (according to Tyler's count). Church camp, smurch camp--why did I think this was such a great idea? Oh, sure, Tyler's been to camp loads of times; this is, what, his fourth year? But never in New Mexico! He might as well be going to New Zealand!! Just put me out of my misery now, would you please? I am going to miss him something awful. He's not even gone and my eyes are already blood-shot.

The trip will take about twelve to thirteen hours all told, so 39 kids and sponsors will be loading into the church bus and van at 3:30 a.m. and will head to Weatherford to . . . no, no, that's not a typo. I meant to say "a.m." Yes, by 4:00 this morning our group will meet up with a couple of other church groups and they'll all caravan west, arriving at scenic Pine Springs Summer Camp in Sacramento, NM by about 5:00 p.m. if all goes according to plan. Please, for my sake, when you read this entry pause a moment and pray for the safety of all the kids this week (they'll arrive back here around midnight next Saturday) and pray that I won't be a complete basketcase for the next seven days!

Oh my goodness, how I love this boy!

The fourth group hug--'nuff said.