We're Home!

We're home. All five of us. I have piles of dirty camp laundry and one very over-tired (yet still ridiculously excited about how much fun she had) camper. But we're all here, happily back home.

Tomorrow birthday preparations start for a certain almost nine-year-old but, in the meantime, a quick respite. Whew!

Camp

Joe and I dropped Madeleine off at camp on Sunday afternoon. Leaving church late Sunday morning we were a jovial threesome (Hank and Elisabeth departed with Grandfather after the conclusion of the service) but by the time we arrived at Madeleine's camp the camper had grown a bit more quiet. She was happy to see her friends. She was excited to spread out her sleeping bag on her bed in her dormitory-style room. And she looked relieved when she met her college-aged, friendly counselor for the week. Yet, still, it was obvious she was a bit apprehensive.

Still, though, the time came for Joe and me to leave. Madeleine gave us two rushed hugs, assuring us that she was going to be fine until pick-up time on Friday. Right now I'm sure she's having a wonderful time swimming, canoeing, hiking and all the rest of it. It's me who is going to have trouble waiting until Friday to see her again and hear how things went.

UPDATE: A letter arrived today from Madeleine. She wrote, "Camp is fun. I love (underlined twice) my counselor." The rest was about strange food that she couldn't identify, but the letter was upbeat and it was clear she's having a fun time. Whew!

Camp

Tomorrow morning Madeleine leaves for her first sleep away camp. Granted the camp is only two nights long but still... it's sleep away camp! It's over five hours away from here so the other moms whose girls are going and I are staying at a hotel/spa ten minutes away from the camp (yeah, yeah, how lame and overprotective are we?). I'm looking forward to a girls weekend of relaxing, reading, and chatting.

The reason I share this, though, is that I won't be blogging. At least I don't think I'll be blogging. Not that I've been terribly great about posting every day anyway, but I didn't want to get the Walnut Grove trip properly documented before I forget it all but that, like my home-schooling posts, basement "after" posts, and others, I'm sure, will have to wait until later. With me it's always later, isn't it. Hm.