A Different Era

Eli asked me the other day, "Mommy,do all humans have a memory card inside of them? Is that how we remember things?" He's a child of the 21st century. Certainly not something I ever asked my mother.

I told Cara that her buncus (bottom) was roundy cutie and that mine was droopy blubby, but that I wished it was roundy cutie like hers. Her response, "Mommy you're tummy is droopy blubby too." Kids are such great ego boosters.

We went camping in Shenandoah last weekend. It was beautiful weather and it was nice to get out of the DC metro mess for a bit. Joel had a good time the day we got there. Kelly had bought those large plastic drinking cups, usually red but ours were blue, and Joel had a great time playing stacking games with them. Probably inspired by games he had seen on "Minute to Win it." He also had a good time trying to throw a bottlecap he found into a hole on one of the trees at our campsite. Later we realized a mama bird had baby or babies in that hole and felt bad that we were trying to throw jagged metal things into it.

That night we went to the campfire program. I remember campfire programs from my youth being fun. This particular one was about how we define wilderness, very cerebral and philosophical. In short, not fun. Joel was dying. I can understand that the National Park Service wants to educate us and that campfire programs can be a good vehicle for learning BUT that doesn't mean you can't sing some silly songs and try to appeal to all ages as well.

Joel was a little freaked out about the signs in the park to keep food under lock and key in order not to attract bears. We'd get some food out to make a meal and the next thing ya know Joel would have locked it back in the car. His anxiety level was definitely up.

We decided to try a morning campfire program the next day because it was about birds of prey and the ranger was going to show us some actual live specimens.

But by then Joel had had it with camping. He doesn't know what to do without the tv or the computer and coupled with his anxiety about the bears he was DONE. He asked me at the birds of prey program if we were leaving after it was over, when I told him no we were staying another night, he freaked out. He let me know in no uncertain terms that he wanted to be HOME.

I could sense his little brain grasping at straws to come up with a logical reason to hightail it outta there. Finally he found it and screamed, "Mom tomorrow is church day and I WANT TO KEEP THE SABBATH DAY HOLY!" He yelled this out repeatedly amid tears that he needed to keep the sabbath day holy and that if we stayed in Shenandoah we wouldn't be. Everybody was starring at us surely thinking we were religious nutcases. I couldn't help laughing. We made it through most of the Birds of Prey show though the lady talked FOREVER before we were actually allowed to see one of the birds. We then went to the lodge and the visitor center. After we got back to the campsite Joel locked himself in the car and kept telling us he wanted to go home that he couldn't take it anymore. Joel was so upset and anxious that after making dinner and roasting marshmallows again for s'mores, we packed up and left.

Eli and Cara loved their camping experience (and Joel had some fun too-all the kids loved playing in the tent after it was set up) and when we go again I'll be sure to bring lots of games and activities because my Joel needs more structure.