We’re free!
Then again, after feeding a bunch of teens
and kids tonight, Mom and Dad probably have a different opinion of that – from
both a cost and personal, societal perspective; but you know what I mean –
we’ve got two and a half months worth of fun and sun ahead of us right now; and
all is well with the world!
I’ll back up and start this report from the
beginning in a moment, but I’m writing to you live from one of the tents for a
semi-major camping adventure. Some
negotiating was involved in making that happen today, but basically we have the
kids and younger teens camping here from my family, the Stones, Emersons,
Landrys, Bassetts, Nortons and Faulkners – or at least from one family in those
clans.
Jake, Stephanie, Christina, and Josiah were
all invited too, but for some reason; they all wanted to have indoor sleepovers
instead. Go figure! Violet and Dillon likely would have made the
same decision, but then they left for Woodvale right after Dillon had finished
work for the day to spend the weekend there before coming home in time for
Father’s Day dinner at the Inn with his family – and ours.
Okay, time to take the rest of this update
from the top of the day.
Tai Chi by the river helped to get the day
off to a fun start – though technically; it was the good morning hugs and
kisses that put the first smiles on our faces – especially the ones I shared
with Michael. Breakfast was of the
standard-issue work and school day variety; but Michael stayed for that too; so
I was a happy camper. School was short,
with lots of sweets, and had us starting our summer holidays with lots of time
left to play.
Everyone gathered at our house because of
the still-developing camping adventure plans; and Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I
started setting up tents while waiting for everyone else to arrive. Michael had invited Jessica and Ryan Bassett
to join us after finding out that Sophia was getting an invitation to spend the
night with Ehlana and Naomi; and since Patrick and Scott were going to be with
us; we added Lindsay to the list so that she could hang out with Jessica. He went home to do chores first, but Lucas
had been approved for another camping night too; and was bringing Emma and
Benjamin with him. Ethan only had Aiden
on his guest list for the night; so adding in Rebecca; we have a total of eighteen
campers, and we’re using six tents. We
did the camp setup work first; and then those of us who were there went to play
at the park until dinnertime. We had a
late meal so that Lucas, Emma, and Ben could join us – as well as our usual
Friday night group of parents and grandparents.
By the time we ate and cleaned up, that
didn’t leave as much daylight left for any major play time; so we only took the
younger kids over to the park for a little more playground action before coming
home again in time to start our campfire at dusk. We had help getting that set up, but then Mom
and Dad went inside to do some work in the office – with Dad already working on
getting ready for his week in the city.
Michael and I provided the musical entertainment taking turns on the
guitar; Michael, Tim, Rebecca, and Lucas did the story time; and the younger
kids happily kept us fed with toasted marshmallows and the occasional hot dog.
Kids under ten were ordered to bed at
eleven o’clock; so we had a little intermission while the rest of us helped to
make that happen; and then the rest of us had another hour or so to sit around
the fire and talk quietly before heading to our tents too. There was some goofiness going on after that –
mostly with Patrick, Scott, and Ben playing a few pranks that were either aimed
at teen couples or Jessica and Lindsay; but then they settled down and there
were just six of us left standing – or sitting; since we were out on the
benches by the river or on the dock.
Michael and I had the dock seats; and while we had fun chatting with
Rebecca, Lucas, Rowen, and Tim; we were also happy to get a little bit of alone
time after we split up - and our friends
went in search of other places to do their goodnight hugs and kisses while we
stayed where we were and watched the stars while stretching out and cuddling on
the dock.
We didn’t have to worry about getting into
trouble or anything like Dad apparently did from time to time; but moonlit
goodnight kisses by the river really are special. It’s a good thing that we should get the
chance to share a lot of them this summer!
When Rowen and Tim got back; we met up with them outside of our tents;
and Rowen and I have been in ours since then – cuddling with Ehlana and Naomi;
and keeping warm.
It’s definitely cool tonight, and I hope
the boys are all warm too, since cuddling with the other guys isn’t exactly an
option for most of them; but I won’t think about that too much right now since
I’d really like to be cuddling with Michael instead – no matter how much fun
Ehlana is to cuddle with too.
It doesn’t feel as though I’ve really
written enough about today to describe just how much fun we’ve had; but there
really isn’t anything else particularly amazing to add to this update. We’ve really just had one of those really
great, but not particularly eventful days.
That won’t be the case for at least some of us for the rest of the
weekend. Tomorrow is the grad party for
the high school seniors; and Rowen and Tim are going to help his aunt and uncle
with putting that event on for Kyle and his classmates. Mom and Dad have a baseball game tomorrow
night; and I’ll be babysitting for that – and when they go out to the pub after
the game. Michael will likely come over
tomorrow night after work; so with a bit of luck; we’ll get some alone time
after Ethan and Ehlana go to bed. Sunday
is Father’s Day; so that’ll be crazy-busy too – especially when Dad needs to
finish getting ready for his week in Crystal Springs. Maybe he should think about re-scheduling
that week in June so he doesn’t always have to spend on of ‘his’ special days
stuck in the office. That won’t be
happening this year, though, so we’ll just have to help him have as much fun as
he can.
That’s actually my personal plan for the
whole summer – to have as much fun as I can.
So far – mission accomplished!
Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the
Light!
