Meeting Myself Coming And Going
While it is true that I did not blog/Twitter or mess with my Facebook while I was at camp, I can also attest to the fact that I did not watch tv or listen to the radio either. I played cds in the arts & crafts studio (seen above as I was packing up our materials) and sometimes I took a 30 minute break at the end of the evening to watch a dvd on my laptop. I didn't even read anything, though I brought a couple of books to read during breaktime. I felt focused the entire week, for the most part. When offered a break, most of us opted to crawl onto our beds and nap. It seemed to be the only sane thing to do.
Coming back home was great. I'm no longer driving the "Joadmobile", having purchased a Nissan XTerra, and the new oven we bought has now been hooked up and moved into the space left by the old one. It's all good and I'm happy to be able to bake a tray of brownies after NOT being able to bake anything for a solid month. That said, I seem to be retaining a lot of excess exhaustion. Camp is not only physically challenging, it's also very emotionally draining. You might find that you can set those emotions aside during the week, but they'll come back to bite you in the butt once you come home and let your defenses down. Last night I slept as if submerged underwater...unable to see or hear. And I'm still tired.
But there's little time to rest because tomorrow I take the middle son down to College Station for his New Student Conference. I'll also be writing a big check to the university while I'm there. Yippee! It's only money!
So I probably won't be posting again until Wednesday night when I get back. In the meantime I'll leave you with some pictures of two of our many art projects we did at camp. The first one was button flowers, which the little girls really loved. The second? Ordinary Bic pens covered in polymer clay and baked. I'll try to use the prettiest one to write that enormous check on Wednesday so that it won't sting quite so much.
What a beautiful gift of service - and cool crafts to boot! Hope you had a fantastic time. I'll be heading out your way in two weeks - my sister lives in Austin!
Posted by: MamaMo | July 13, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Welcome home.
Posted by: Alpha DogMa | July 13, 2008 at 11:22 PM
I just looked over to see my name under "Insane Clown Posse" and am LOL! I'm in good company though!
Glad you had a great time.
Posted by: Cheri @ Blog This Mom! | July 13, 2008 at 11:25 PM
I used to have that residual exhaustion when I came back from caring for my parents. It's the price you pay for staying focused when there are so many reasons emotions get pulled and frayed.
Good luck this week.
Posted by: V-Grrrl | July 14, 2008 at 07:18 AM
Those pens are really cool.
Yeah, colleges just love to have people write those big-ass checks.
Posted by: Jay | July 14, 2008 at 09:11 AM
Neat craft ideas!! I know exactly what you mean. I did a post-disaster survey after Katrina in Mississippi and I was ok for the whole week. Then I got to the airport at home and started sobbing and kicked my suitcase so hard it broke.
Have a great trip!
Posted by: Becca | July 14, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Hope you get some good rest soon. I'm getting out the sculpey on the next rainy day! And buttons too - I have a huge box of buttons.
Posted by: Janet | July 14, 2008 at 09:45 AM
Those pens ROCK! How clever.
I bet a week of no technology was quite soothing. Good luck getting yourself sorted out in the re-entry!
Posted by: melissa | July 14, 2008 at 09:48 AM
It looks like a great facility and awesome craft projects.
Hopefully the brownies will help ease the return home.
Posted by: Jenn @ Juggling Life | July 14, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Aggie.
Well GL to him. My baby brother is finishing his fifth year there. I'm sure there is a decent education to be had, even if it is A&M. ;)
I have camp envy. :)
Posted by: Julie Pippert | July 14, 2008 at 11:20 AM
A new stove and an XTerra sound pretty good. So do brownies.
Glad the week was a success...rest up!
Posted by: Jennifer H | July 14, 2008 at 09:25 PM
Although exhausted I can only imagine that your time there was life enriching. And what a beautiful crafts room.
I'm gonna steal the button craft. thanks.
Posted by: Woman in a window | July 15, 2008 at 08:51 AM
Welcome back to town. Reading about camp makes me want to go back -- I could use a few weeks of no social commitments, office responsibilities, and obnoxious pets that won't do what I tell them.
Posted by: Spamboy | July 15, 2008 at 07:20 PM
You know I like you WG. Now I like you even more. xxooxx
Posted by: Mrs. G. | July 15, 2008 at 09:33 PM
It's all the fresh air. It's tiring.
Posted by: All Adither | July 15, 2008 at 10:43 PM
I'm glad you enjoyed camp! Yep, that exhaustion during the week piles up. I hope you have some more time to get some more rest.
Good luck at the Student Orientation! :)
Posted by: CircusKelli | July 16, 2008 at 06:40 AM
Welcome home! I have never been to camp except as a junior counselor at a local camp for 2 summers when I was a teen. Other than that, my parents always threatened to send me to camp if I didn't behave. So I behaved. Now I wish I hadn't behaved because that crafts room looks awesome and the pens are the coolest. Glad you had a good time.
Posted by: Wendy | July 16, 2008 at 08:02 PM
I need to get involved in something like that and do for others more.
Rest and recover and enjoy College Station!
Posted by: Debbie | July 17, 2008 at 05:58 AM
What terrific projects! They are so cool that I will forgive you for having an Aggie son. (Go horns.)
Seriously -- great camp and great projects and good for you and glad you're back, and all that good stuff.
Posted by: bejewell | July 17, 2008 at 07:18 PM