45

A  long break.

As I sit here on my 45th birthday I'm thinking about so many things...and I have no idea how to condense those thoughts into anything truly coherent.   So, I am going to tell you about my weekend and all the amazing things we did.

Friday George and I had our first experience with Scout camping.  He was surely out of his element, but that's okay.  It was a nice experience.  Two days and one night in a platform tent with cots.  Of course, humidity was like 3000%.  There were some breezes that helped to cool us down occasionally.  The heat was in the mid to upper 90s and hydration was drilled into our heads.  There were flush toilets and showers and a really nice pool that was about 16 inches deep with water cannons and fountains...kind of like a splash park with a wading pool.  Very, very fun.

Also fun was all of the things the boys did.  They made tool boxes and rope, did archery, shot BB guns and played capture the flag at the castle against both the adults and the staff.  George was up with the birds on Saturday morning.  He had a blast playing with his scout friends.  It was fun to watch them all play together and all switch off being buddies.

It was an experience in independence, too.  I struggled with this, if I'm honest...but I really wanted to be hands off on at least some of it.  I helped with the projects and when he asked, but I tried really hard to butt out for the most part.  I know there were things that I could have jumped in and been more hands on...or hovering about...but I didn't and George did just fine without me.

For me, the best part of the whole thing was the other parents.  It's hard to make friends as an adult.  It's even harder when you are socially awkward and pretty much ride the line between introvert and extrovert.  The trouble is knowing when I'm trying too hard.  This was an easy trip to get to know people.  The fun part after was getting together at the local pizza shop the night after we got back...because who really wants to come home and cook after camping!?  So, the adults sat and had drinks and pizza and the kids- the boys and their siblings- sat at their table and played all the games and had a really good time. It was fantastic.  The feeling of the start of community.  I know I don't really know these people but there is hope that I will.  Gotta start somewhere, right?

So, for this next year, I am going to try to do this blogging thing on a more regular basis.  I want to write and create more, in general...but then I never seem to follow through with the act of actually doing it.  So, here's my goal.  He's my start.  I want to form friendships and create in the 45th year of my life.