Be Careful What You Wish For

Last weekend was the lovely and wonderful camping trip with the Capel/Coyles.  The Kotrbas brought the cold rainy Saturday morning from Glacier, and the Capel/Coyles brought the dangerous wildlife from Yellowstone.  Yes, a little brown bear ran in front of the car on the way home, causing Bill to have to break hard on interstate I35.  The camp owners' two dobermans made repeated visits to our camp at one point stealing an entire sausage from our neighbors.  And I made the grave mistake of feeding a cute little squirrel who become the nuisance of the picnic table.

The kids got to do what all kids should have a chance to do: play for hours making forts and hideouts in the woods and rocks and lakeshore.  Nature at it's most beautiful and Friday night put on a star show that you only get in northern Minnesota.

Back to piano.  This summer is totally goofed up.  Calvin turned 10 last Monday.  Everyone who knows him knows that he is an early riser.  For ten years, roughly a quarter of my life, this kid has been waking up at 5:30 or 5:45.  As a toddler we tried everything.  Around two-years-old he could finally read a clock and we could set the rule that he couldn't come out of his room until 6:15 a.m.  There were many days I felt so bleary eyed I wished the night would come to start the next day over.

This summer the kid sleeps.  I guess all the traveling and staying up late finally caught up with him.  He sleeps until 7:00 or 7:20. Says he falls back asleep after he wakes up at 5:30. . .   Says he just rolls over and drifts away. . .  Says he doesn't want to set an alarm. . .  He is cheerful and less sniffly--eyes look bright.

THIS SCREWS UP EVERYTHING!  When are we supposed to practice piano?  My own body clock--which for 33 years preferred to crawl in bed at midnight and wake up at 8:00 is still waking up at 5:55 to brush my teeth, stumble down to the coffee pot and stagger into the piano room for practice.  Now it is a total breach of his precious free time to practice for an hour in the late morning.  To top it off--last week the kids had VBS all morning.  All this learning about God and singing great songs has also screwed up the routine.  This week?  GT camp.  Now Mary is doing "Robotic Engineering" and Calvin is doing "Robotic Amusement Parks."  Last night at dinner the two of them talked over Bill and my heads' about the lingo of lego robotics and the interface with the computer.  Bill and I stared blankly at each other and decided to split a beer.  So they are stretching themselves.  Meanwhile, I get to drive three hours a day back and forth to the camp, and by the way, when the heck are we supposed to practice piano?????

I work better in a routine.  This summer that is just not gonna happen. I suppose it is good for me to have to go with the flow, but last night I spilled liquid laundry soap all over the seven loads of laundry I had just completed.   It also ran all down the wall behind the drier.  So I have to do the majority of the laundry all over.  Primal scream.  I'm hoping Bill will help me move the drier at some point to clean the spill. . . or who knows it might just fester back there for ten years.

Next week is normal again.  Then the kids trade weeks at my mom's and then summer is winding down.  One more weekend at Bill's folks' cabin.  Fall will come and we will need a new routine.  Mary will be in school all day.  There you have it.  We won't have made much progress at the piano this summer.  We also didn't go backwards. The kids will have seen a lot of nature and family and friends and learned about their faith and lego robotic interfaces.

These are the decisions we make on behalf of our kids.  I think I'm okay with that.  I know I'm okay with that.