Church Camp

We are sending Cade to church camp for 2 nights and 3 days starting today.  Actually, I feel like I'm sending him off because Jay is gone overnight on an FFA trip.  Camryn and I will be home alone all day today and tomorrow. What will we do without the boy?  Actually I've got lots of plans for the next 36 hours.

I'm a little nervous about Cade going to camp.  Not to mention the last time he was at this same camp we didn't have the best experience. I know he will have a good time and I know they will take care of him.  Mostly I'm worried about him getting showered and dressed on his own.  Yes, he is 9 and yes he should be able to do that and for the most part he does.  We just have to prod him along most of the time.  There is the struggle to get out of bed....then the 5 minute warning knock on the bathroom door...then reminding him several times to get dressed.  That is clearly one downfall of having an only child for so long.  When you realize you are going to have another baby I think it is a way to jump start you into making your older child(ren) more independent.  Well...we never had that with Cade so I babied him for way too long.  Just a couple of months ago we sat down to eat and Cade automatically handed me his plate like he always does.  Jay said he thought it was time Cade started filling his own plate.  I had one of those moments were I flash forward and saw us sitting around the table with Cade and his wife and me still filling his plate.  It made me break out in a sweat.  But it is a mom's nature to take care of them every minute of every day from the moment they come into your life.  It's been really hard for me to realize that I need to start making him more independent.  And I don't know if its his personality or because he's a boy but he's always let me do all of this stuff for him.  Our doctor even talked to us at his last check-up about how important it is to make kids independent and to have them contribute to the family unit.  I know that...but it's so hard.

So last night I packed him for camp.  I even put seperate outfits in seperate bags so he'll know what goes together and to make it easier for him to grab to take to the bathroom.  We went over everything and what was in the bag and what he was supposed to do with it.  All he could worry about was the money that was sitting there and what it was for.  I kept telling him we'd get to that in a minute.  Finally I explained that part of it was for the Missions and the other part was for canteen.  Then I went over the importance of getting the change back and putting it in his pocket for the next day.   I'm not sure that will happen.  Then I stacked all his little baggie in a suitcase.  Cade asked me what if I embarassed him because he had so much stuff.  I assured him the other kids would be the same.  Towels take up a lot of room.  I also have a nagging feeling I'm only going to get about half of all this stuff back on Friday.

I have visions of him naked and sad because he lost his canteen money and he doesn't get snacks when everyone else does.  Like Jay reminded me this will be very good for him...if he gets in the shower and doesn't have his towel or clothes he'll think twice about it next time.  Same with the money.  If he looses it and doesn't get a snack it will teach him to be more careful.  I know all that...but why is it so hard for me to accept? 

Thank goodness Camryn is a girl.  I'm hoping she will naturally want to be more independent because I obviously can't depend on another child to force me to make her independent.  

It's about time for me to get him up.  My parting words will be don't loose your money and for goodness sakes, please stay off that jungle gym!  Camryn and I are crafting today and tomorrow and I don't want to take him to get stitches!