4 Kids, 1 Parent!

On Thursday last week, we put Kristin on a plane for a visit with her sister in San Antonio, Texas. That was not so bad - there were logistical considerations for getting her to the airport and all that, but nothing too mind-bending.

Well now I am about halfway through the experience and I want my partner back!! I'm not saying that I know what it feels like to be a mom (because I don't and never will), but I am saying that I miss the reassurance that comes with knowing she is at home and is in control of that environment. Since I am the only responsible adult at home now, I have felt the burden of gathering all the "kid data" and making sure that all the needs are met. Before I would just go to work and not worry about what was happening at home. If Kristin needed something, she would call or text me and we would discuss it and make plans to resolve it. Now I still go to work, but I have in the back of my mind concerns over what is going on at the house. I send text messages to Tyler and Erin to probe the conditions - "How is everything?" And I get the response back "Good." or "K." I find that I have to take breaks throughout the day and get these updates, just to put my mind at ease. I know that all you mothers are saying "Welcome to my world!" right about now. I like to think that I have everything under control, but I know it is just a facade that fits.

We have had a couple family meetings since Kristin left, just so I can make sure I know what is happening the next day. Today is kind of a crazy example, but I use it to illustrate my point.

Jason - had to be up at 4:45 am to be able to shower and have breakfast before his high adventure camp, which he needed to meet at the church at 6:00 for. We had to make sure he had all his gear (packs, sleeping bags, bike, equipment, etc.) so that he could have a good experience. He will be gone until Friday night. Then on Saturday he as volunteered to be a race official at the Red Robin Yumm Run in Boise.

Erin - had to be up at 7:30 am in order to be ready for her job at Meridian Elementary School. I was responsible for dropping her off for her 8:45 start time. Then after she was done there, she had a 12:00 appointment to babysit for one of the neighbors for a couple of hours. She told me that she folded clothes and did the dishes for them too... Where do I sign up for that service? She told me that if I paid enough money, she would do it for us too. I thought to myself - what is this thing called allowance money for, then?! She is then going to be hanging out with a friend who is leaving for a family trip to Alaska tomorrow. Whew!

Tyler - had to watch Conner while Erin was at work. As the Patrol Leader for his scout group, he had to call the boys and remind them of our special meeting time tomorrow and make sure they have all the gear they need (we are going swimming at the Y, which is difficult if you have not money or towel). Then after dinner, I am taking Tyler to the Y so he can learn and practice some swimming skills. He is not a strong swimmer, but has to have some rudimentary skills in order to advance to Second Class and First Class ranks.

Conner - well he just had to be Conner and do his chores so he can watch a Looney Tunes on the DVR, or play on the computer.

Just trying to keep up is a job in itself! No wonder Kristin tells me many, many times that she spends the day in the car, running to this or that. I think I like my sheltered life at work, not having to bear the full brunt of the kids and all that goes on at home. Kristin, I love you and will be very glad to have you back. I hope you have had a relaxing time away from our kids and have your batteries recharged, because you are needed and missed here at home!

Tyler's Scout Camp

As I mentioned in my previous post, Tyler and I set out on our adventure to his first Scout camp on July 4th.

This year, our camp was at Camp Bradley, near Stanley, Idaho. It was the second consecutive year our troop attended this camp, and the first time for me and Tyler.

Our group had 13 boys (ranging in age from Tyler's 11 years old to Halston's 16 years old) and two leaders (me and Shawn Boer). This was the first time that I had spent an entire week at a Scout camp since I was a young Boy Scout myself.

The setting for the camp is beautiful as you can plainly see from the photos. The snow-capped mountain is called Cape Horn. The other is of the dining hall and shows all the lodge pole pine trees that dominate the camp. Unfortunately, the pine bark beetle has decimated the trees here at camp too, just like it seems it has in Yellowstone Park and other areas in Wyoming and Idaho. One of the camp commissioners told me that they are trying to introduce a bunch of Ponderosa pine trees in and around the camp as they de-forest the dead lodge poles. I think that is a great idea, but it will only be truly enjoyed by the future generations simply because the seedlings start so small.

At the camp, since we had an odd number of boys, I ended up being Tyler's buddy. I was hoping that one of the other boys would be his buddy just because I was worried that he wouldn't fit in what with being the youngest one there. This fear proved to be unjustified because there were a number of boys who showed a genuine interest in Tyler (namely Anthony, Robert and Ewan). I think he was a little nervous about being there and not really knowing what to do, s0 I tried to stand back and let him make the choices about what to do and when.
When the week was over, I was hoping that he would come away with at least 6 merit badges. Well Tyler worked really hard and earned 11 badges! He was able to complete Environmental Science, First Aid and Emergency Preparedness badges, all of which are required for Eagle Scout rank. Additionally, he earned Fingerprinting, Leatherwork, Woodcarving, Mammal Study, Nature, Fish and Wildlife Management, Soil and Water Conservation and Plant Science merit badges. I was so proud of how he just got busy and sat through the lectures and activities that each badge required. He didn't especially like the Environmental Science or Plant Science badges as they required quite a bit of "homework" to complete them at camp. Tyler seemed to have a great time participating in the experiences of Scout camp. I was priveledged to be with him for the week. It was fun for me to see him grow up right before my eyes. I know that he will do well as he starts middle school this fall. Hopefully his experiences with Scout Camp have given him some confidence that he can use to springboard himself into all the new things he will be doing througout the remainder of his life.

Independence Day

This year we had our Independence Day celebration on Sunday the 3rd. Since it is my traditional rite to light off the fireworks and Tyler and I were going to be at Scout camp on the 4th, we made the decision to celebrate early.

We don't usually go over the top with our fireworks display. In fact, this is a subject that really rankles me. It is mostly due to the fact that in Idaho, fireworks that launch flaming balls (like roman candles and bottle rockets) are illegal. That does not stop the retailers from selling them - oh quite to the contrary! They try to cover themselves legally by forcing you to sign a waiver that says you will take the fireworks across the state lines before you set them off... This is coupled with the obvious "turn-a-blind-eye" attitude on the part of law enforcement here in Star; but when you can sit in your backyard and see a better display from the next subdivision than you can from the City of Boise, there is something wrong with the system. I guess that it will take an unfortunate accident where someone gets killed or burns down their house before the laws will really be enforced...

OK, I am down from my soapbox now - as I was saying that our displays are really tame - we do some smoke bombs, some snap its and then some of the rolling tanks. The best part is that the kids just love our simple tradition, especially the tanks. We always have them duel each other and it is fun to see them light each other up. We used to do sparklers too, but I guess our kids grew out of them... Oh well, it leaves more money to buy tanks with.

While I love the fireworks and parades that accompany the 4th of July celebrations, I am a passionate patriot when it comes to our country and the freedoms that we enjoy. I want to publicly thank all those who serve and have served our country in the armed forces. Without their dedication, our country would not be what it is today. The saying is absolutely true that "freedom is not free." I salute those who gave their lives to defend the ideals of this Republican society. I always become emotional during the verse of "America the Beautiful" that talks about "...heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved..." I have never been in the military myself, but both of my grandfathers served in World War II. Both of Kristin's grandfathers also served in that war, and her dad was in the Army reserve. Now in the family we have Jeff who is a veteran of the Navy and Preston and Jake are currently in the Army. THANK YOU for your service! It is so simple to say, but seems so inadequate to express the depth of my gratitude; I don't know how else to say it any more eloquently - so thank you from the bottom of my heart!