Sunday, July 05, 2009

Heart Like a Gabriel, Pure and White as Ivory*

My Gabriel is home from camp, tired, but happy. All week I expected the phone to ring, telling us that we needed to come and get him.

But he lasted all week, he had a good time, and he wants to go back next year.

He had a wonderful time with his cousins. He did archery and crafts and walked in the woods, and made a new friend named Michael who likes to read as much as he does, and he swam (briefly) in the lake (where the little stinker failed his swimming test on purpose, to avoid further murky lake swimming.) (Not sure how I feel about that. Gabriel is a strong swimmer, and I mean strong. (This makes sense considering the pool in our back yard.) He is a strong diver as well. So I was shocked, SHOCKED, to hear that he failed to tread water for 90 seconds. The child could tread water for an HOUR if he wanted. His failure of the swim test meant he could play on the sand bar and in the shallow water, and if that's what made him happy, I guess it's okay. I hate to see him hide the thing that he is best at, though.)

He was completely exhausted when we picked him up and he actually took a four hour nap, which is not something he has ever done, in his entire life, with the notable exception of New Year's Day, 2001, when he and I both slept for the WHOLE afternoon, and it was weird enough that I remember it now, eight YEARS later.

But, anyway, Gabriel was so tired after camp that he fell asleep on our living room in the middle of an Independence Day party, during which lots of people were in our house and in our pool, including other children he is really fond of and doesn't get to see very often. He was EXHAUSTED. People just stepped over him coming to and from the bathroom. (I didn't want to risk moving him, since it was so very odd for him to be asleep during daylight hours in the first place.) He did wake up in time to eat a barbecued hot dog and some watermelon, and to watch the fireworks from our front yard.

I am just glad that he made it through the week and didn't hate. And I am glad, really, to have him home. I missed my little guy.

LM

*Cowboy Junkies, Misguided Angel

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, that must have been a good camp! I could totally see my older kids acting like they couldn't do something... kids are weird sometimes.

Monday, July 06, 2009 4:51:00 PM  
Blogger Trying Traditional said...

Glad he enjoyed it and seriously, I would be right there with him in the sand. I am a fairly good swimmer, but in a lake....ewww. I not only wouldn't want to tread water for 90 seconds (staying in one spot could attract...moving thingys) but am sure that the thought of said thingys would render me unable!

Monday, July 06, 2009 9:48:00 PM  
Blogger thecurryseven said...

I'm so glad that he had a good time at camp. And all of mine have been funny about swimming in a lake at one time or another...even to not taking the swimming test. I think it's pretty normal.

e

Tuesday, July 07, 2009 5:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Elaine said...

Glad he had such a good time at camp! I remember coming home from camp exhausted like that a few times.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009 3:19:00 PM  
Blogger Grace said...

Glad he had a good time!

Friday, July 10, 2009 9:47:00 PM  

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