It's that TIME Again

As of next Monday, I'll have packed up the family, and moved to overnight camp for the next 8 weeks. Even though its only a week away and this is the 6th year I've done this, it's hard to come to terms with the reality that in a week, I'll won't be cooking, cleaning, doing laundry or yelling (at least at my own kids).

I will be living in a small, (and I mean small) room. I will have air-conditioning, and cable, too.

I won't have easy access to the internet. I won't have a lot of control over my schedule. I won't know what's for dinner until I arrive in the dining hall. I won't get to spend a lot of time with my kids. I won't see my husband, except on the weekends.

I will be visiting dairy queen now and then. I will have to learn to deal with the heat. I will be meeting people from LITERALLY all over the world. At the tender age of 44, I will be one of the 8th oldest person at the camp. I will be bringing my travel scrabble game. I will be eating all you can eat crabs 3 or 4 times. I will have to drive 30 minutes to get to the closest Walmart.

I won't be dressing well. I won't be talking sister everyday. (This will piss her off). I will be writing letters to my kids, even though I will see them every day. I will get the privilege of seeing who my kids are palling around with.

I will be seeing a skunk, a snake and lots of bugs. I won't be prepared for it when I do. I will be supervising a group of college students. I won't be yelling at them much (I'm a pretty easy boss). I won't have to wear a lot of make-up. But I'll put it on every day. I will be taking a nap after lunch every day.

I will spend most of the summer wearing crocs and paint splattered tees and shorts. I will forget names of a lot of the campers, even though I'll try not to. I will have 3 nervous breakdowns. I will teach a class in ceramics or silkscreening when the assigned teacher is sick. I won't really know what I'm doing. I will fake it well.

I will pledge to eat well, and not have too many chocolate chip cookies or trips to the dairy queen. I will start off well, but have a few slip-ups.

I will sing karaoke at the local bar, and if I do it just right, I will embarrass my husband, and anyone else that admits to knowing me.

I will rent movies at the block-buster, and then I will watch them, and then I'll watch them again, with the dvd bonus comments turned on.

I will be writing and directing a 10 minute movie...to be shown at the end of the summer. I will be supervising the costuming and make-up of 2 theatrical productions. I will be decorating our dining hall for an end of season banquet. I will be putting together 2 visiting day art shows.

I will be exhausted at the end of the day, every day. I will be really exhausted at the end of the summer.

I will get two evenings of visitation with my children. I will really enjoy every moment with them.

At the end of the summer, I will come home, and do a TON of laundry. And this will feel precious and new. I will once again appreciate how lucky I am to have my wonderful husband and children, parents and sister and bro-in-law.