Camp Orkila - Mothers Day Weekend

We spent last weekend at Camp Orkila with Frost's old school, Kapka. Camp Orkila is a YMCA outdoor camp on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands. It takes about 4 hours to get there from Seattle - driving to Anacortes and then catching an inter-island ferry on a trip which takes about 90 minutes.

The weather is fickle in spring. On prior years it has threatened rain during the day and been cold. I have never been tempted to swim and last year my kayaking was cancelled due to wind. This weekend was remarkable for its cool clear windless sun. It was the kind of weather that makes everyone want a boat and a vacation cabin and to take pictures into which they can photoshop orcas and seals and small white-sailed dinghies.

We had a lovely time and even the clear bright nights were tolerable in our tent.

Food

One of my favorite things about Camp is having all the food prepared for me. You come into a big hall at meal time and its all there in big silver vats. And its usual-kid friendly. Since my kids eat weird food Frost would sometimes eat nothing but desert and Wren would eat only oranges and a pancake, but at Camp Orkila I didn't have to bother. There was no more food so they ate what they wanted and nothing more.

Here is Wren in the hall eating ORANGE! Note, he is wearing his cape over his pajamas. This is his favorite outfit. Many days I have to bribe him to get into real clothes by afternoon.

Here is Josh bringing Wren to lunch or breakfast which was at 8am every day. I love breakfast on a schedule and it included hot chocolate, eggs, pancakes and lots of parents staggering around saying they didn't get any sleep because of:

• snorting pigs,
• kids falling out of bunks,
• parents singing too loud at the campfire or
• cold.

Plants Versus...

We were a bit naughty and brought the iPad to camp. Wren spent early mornings and a few afternoon naptimes playing what he calls "Plants-versus". Popular culture calls this Plants Versus Zombies and Frost calls its PVZ. Plantsversus is our family addiction. Actually I am going to pause my blog update to play a level. I am on the roof level.

"Daddy, I do not mind if the zombies EAT MY BRAINS"

Fashionista

Last week, Wren wore a sweater Mum bought for us in Australia at an art show. I neglected it over winter because it was lightweight but now that its milder it has come out. This sweater has attracted a lot of excitement in Seattle. I was asked where I bought it, if I could copy it, if it was a Mondrian design and told that it was the most fabulous thing ever. It was especially admired when worn with striped black and white leggings.

Amigos

The best thing about Camp Orkila is that the kids can run freely with their friends. I barely saw Frost on Saturday - he ran with his pack of boys - and Wren was often gone for half an hour with his 'friends' or 'small mothers' - Eve and Ingrid. The girls looked after Wren and made up missions and games for him. At mealtimes he cried when he could not find "my friends" and at times would not come and play with me because he had "a mission with The Big Boys!"

Wren, Ingrid and Eve at the beach

Alex, Isaac and Frost - the three amigos

Boating

I wanted to type in some text with this picture but I don't have photoshop anymore. Boo hoo. Anyway, it shows the rowboat containing Frost, Zephyr, Isaac and Mike. Mike is lying back in the bow and is the only adult on board. Zephyr did a valiant deed and rowed the boys to the island which they named according to imagined Pirate histories.

Meanwhile, I went on an idyllic paddle for a few hours in a group. We saw seals, a loon, flocks of turkey vultures and a bald eagle diving at an otter or ferret-like animal on the beach. I now aspire to do a kayaking tour in the San Juans at some point. There are many state parks only accessible by water and a paddling route around the islands leading from campsite to campsite, island to island. Wouldn't that be fun? If Josh wasn't keen I am sure I would find some other takers? Right?

The Sea, The Sea

Wren said his favorite part of Camp Orkila was the beach. It is good to be near the sea. I am not sure whether it is good for everyone or just good if you have lived near the sea as a child. Wren liked to play on the beach whenever he could.

Here he wears his cape.

The same place at sunset with Wren, Eve and Ingrid (not sure who the larger boy is).

Fires

One of the most persistent "games" for the bigger boys was firemaking. There were various rules around fires but the boys were interested in creating and protecting their fires. At many points there were "girl" fires and "boy" fires - with circles drawn in clay dust around them. Boys chased girls with balls of cut grasss (the lawns had been mown shortly before we arrived) and the girls retaliated with mock attacks. Simply the threat that "the girls are planning something!" would be enough to unleash a flurry of strategy and running around. Wren and some other boys made bows with twigs and string. Wren still has his bow and runs around pretending to shoot things and people with it.

Frost with a handful of grass in the Defend the Fire From Girls game. Zephyr had a "Survival Kit" in his backpack containing string, tape, a knife, matches etc. This became the center for many games. Frost would like a knife but is still very concerned about being cut and does not really have any idea how to use it. Perhaps for this birthday?
Here is Wren with his bow at the boy fire. You can see Alex, Jack and Benjamin to his left.

As we left Orcas Island there was one dramatic moment. I had waited 2 hours in the ferry line (you have to, to get on the midday sailing) and as the line advanced I turned on the car and it went "click". We had a flat battery.

There was lots of cussing and running around but miraculously Josh managed to jumpstart the car in time for us to get on the ferry in time. Phew. We were all a bit hyped after that and it was good to be home.

There was news at home - a drive-by shooting - apparently random shots fired into a family home down the street. Still, the work and school season continues and we are left with memories of fires and kayaks and a twig bow.

Clay

A post on Camp Orkila is taking time. Meanwhile, Wren enjoyed the clay at Camp Orkila. This is a tiny little movie made with my point and shoot camera in a crowd of kids. It is mainly for Mum who will tell me that I must sign Wren up for pottery class, which I am trying to do. It was a lot of fun for me too although I loathed pottery class when I was a kid.

There was this strange woman who taught it and I was dumped off there weekly to play with lumps of clay and mould them into uninspired objects which I felt obliged to hang onto. I did not connect with clay. It was in a shed off her garage. She had rules and I didn't like them. I think she told me off once about something but I cannot recall what it was.

Now, if someone had sent me to a painting or drawing class I would have had fun. Why is it so hard to see who our kids are becoming and just go with it?

The need to give our kids opportunities and experience speaks more about us than them.

Lego Universe Beta Test

Frost and Elias are running about the virtual Lego Universe.

Elias: Lets say THANKS and follow him.
Frost: Get the hat. Get the hat.
Elias: How do you say thanks?
Frost: Write there [pointing to dialog box]. Just write T-H-X.
Elias: Run away!
Frost: There are TWO guys attacking you. DON'T GO THERE. They are these super hard spiders. We need some swords.
Elias: Woah!
Frost: So much STUFF. Get all that stuff! Woah.
Elias: ATTACK!!!

A few small accidents

Shortly after I arrived home Wren fell down the last few front stairs and landed on his knees. I offered initial comfort and snuggling then approach with an ice pack:

"Ow, ow, ow" he says "I don't want that kind! It HURTS when you even put that on. What can we DO that Doesn't HURT when you do it. Ow, ow! It is very bad. DO NOT LOOK. That does not work. WHAT WOULD WE DO MUM????"

We do popcorn and more snuggling. The popcorn makes Frost more hungry. He asks for hummus. I microwave the frozen pita and then finish it off in the toaster to make it puff out a dry off the microwave soggies. Frost retrieves the pita when it pops and is burned by its heat.

"I just held it for a minute and there was a SHARP PAIN and I didn't realize but it BURNED MY HAND" he cries.

This starts Wren crying again, a forced whimpering whine. "Now we are BOTH hurt" he says.

They move off to the deck in sorrow and start fighting for possession of the hammock.

Apparently, they will survive.

The Shimmer of All Things

Time does not take pity on a blogger. Each day you write not, events accrue until you face a metaphorical stack of moments to account for. Not that accounting is my business. I like to keep the tally in a more general sense. Still, with a birthday, a party, a gelatinous cube [cake], a newly ferocious tiger, a visit to the farm and the "battle of the monkeyman" passing unremarked, I feel I have some catching up to do.

I haven't even commented on that whole episode of the Icelandic volcano! Wren has been very concerned with volcanoes for a long while so the regular appearance of volcanoes in the local paper was a source of great excitement. I felt personally connected via Facebook where my friend Frances, living in Iceland, posted her experiences, and then again when I learned that Jonathan (Yes, the same long ago Jonathan) who is now a pilot (yes, indeed, the marvels) was grounded at Luton airport. This was all very thrilling. Off and on during the days of ash induced quietude (somewhere, quietude), I pretended I was being interviewed and had to say the name of the volcano and blundered it like a broken down telephone:

"Eye-sjar-fall-oh-cull"

"Aye-ee-ah-fall-o-kial"

"Eye-far-ale-o-joke-ial"

Meanwhile, out of the shadow of the ash, Wren and I went out to Fox Hollow Farm with his friend Henry. Henry was accompanied by Jen (or rather, we accompanied Jen and Henry). It was wet, decidedly muddy, and the beasts were restive being visited by toddlers. Since our visit to Australia (during which Mum worried about her puppy but Wren remains traumatized) Wren has been phobic about dogs. Unfortunately, sheep, pigs and even goats remind him of dogs with teeth so he did not want to visit with them. Even more unfortunately, a sheep escaped from the barn and barreled down the path towards us. Heroically, I stopped the sheep and held it until the farmhand appeared and restored it to its mates.

Thankfully, rabbits and ducks do no took like dogs. Wren loved the rabbits, whose beady little eyes stared back guardedly and who, despite their fur, did not like being cuddled.

Wet chicken

Demonic Rabbits

The ducks slurped in the mud. In the loft of the barn, there was a rope across some haybales. The idea is that a child will climb the haybales and then swing across the room, a la Tarzan. Wren climbed up the bale, swung off and fell into a chasm between two bales. This made him cry.

Ducks dredging the paddock

After the falling and the fearing, the highlight of the visit was driving the battery operated truck around the driveway. Wren drove a short distance and did not reveal a knack for steering. Henry drove around a few times, with minor corrections from Jen. Wren held on tight. Both boys liked it best when they had a ball in the back of the truck to do a delivery. Henry delivered the ball to the front steps of the farmhouse.

I do believe he enjoyed this.

And this...

After that we did the Seattle Suburban thing and drove through an Espresso stand to ensure optimum levels of caffeination for the drive back over 520.

Still to come....... the gelatinous birthday and some cake.

Time Capsule

I was looking for something to write on and picked up an old moleskine notebook I started using in 2003. By chance, it opened to an entry for April 23rd, 2005 - almost 5 years ago to the day. So, today's entry is titled Camping With Frost.

This entry is particularly interesting because, five years ago, Frost was 3 and three quarters. He was six months older than Wren is now.

Here is the entry:

DECEPTION PASS April 23rd 2005

Camping with Frost:

• Frost holds candy in very high regard. We find some tiny red tick-like animals on the beach. I call it a "crab. Frost leaves a candy on the beach for them, checking as they 'eat it'. Frost is thrilled "Mummy, they have never had candy before! I think they like us.

• He pretends to be "rats" and Kitty. Rats talks to me and eats a lot. Kitty eats with her face right in her plate and zombies come at night, being "nocturnal".

• "Mummy, camping is not like home. I miss my ratties and kitty and Daddy and I miss watching TV when I eat lunch."

• He sings a song "It's Kitty playtime as he wraps the hammock sides around over his head. I ask where he heard this song and he told me that it was on Teletubbies [does he watch this ? not with ME!] They sing "its Tubbie playtime" which "reminds me of this". I am concerned with all his TV Iconography.

• He loves digging on the beach with his big shovel. He makes volcanoes from sand with crater depressions in the summit. I put a seaweed "eruption" on one and now he follows suit.

• Frost and I enjoy birdwatching. He uses the binoculars but can't find the birds in them which causes frustration.

• "Hey, where did the Zombies go? Oh, they are going swimming. See how far out they are.. that black dot is them!"

• "Frost, do you need to pee?" "No, I am just dancing."

• He find slugs along the path and crouches down to watch them.

• Reading and writing: Frost writes his name and the word CAT and other simple things.

Frost and Alex on Preparing for Life's Challenges

I picked Frost (8) up from FCS this morning after a sleepover with Alex and the pig. They had played an hour of DS in the morning because:

Alex (8): We had to get up at 6am to pee and then we woke Oliver [the pig] and he started oinking and snuffling a lot.

Frost: We played this cool game on the DS. Its called SPORKLE. It has lots of quiz games. We played this game that was a brand quiz. There was also a Simpson's quiz

Alex: We were pretty good but it got hard.

Me: What's a brand?

Frost: Its like the small picture that a company has to show who they are. You know, like the SHELL symbol or the T&T symbol or the T-Mobile symbol.

Alex: We got a lot of them. We had to type the name when the picture was there and we got most of them.

Frost: That's why I like to watch the commercials on local TV. I need to prepare myself for all of the fun brand games like this.

Morels in Ravenna?

The kids and I were walking to the playground this evening and stopped to check for mushrooms under a nearby evergreen. It seems to be the place they grow in fall and I was hoping to find a specimen for my mushroom ID class tomorrow night.

After charging in vain through the cottonwoods last month, we were all shocked, delighted, stunned - to find a crop of morels growing there. We picked them all - Frost and Wren fighting over "the big one" Frost found - and plan to eat them for breakfast!

Our first morels! I can now add these to the chanterelles, matsutake and shaggy lepiotas I can find and eat all by myself.

One of the smaller fresher specimens

Frost, feeling the joy.

Wren, excited because we are

and wanting whatever is most desired.

Frost Makes Tea

Since we started sleeping with our bedroom doors shut, we have been getting at least an hour more sleep every morning. I discovered that Kitty Haiku had been waking the kids with stepping and mewing.

Now, Frost is the first to get up and I hear him clattering around in the kitchen making strange breakfasts which are more to his liking than those I provide. Recently, he has been eating humous and Mary's Gone Crackers for breakfast followed up by ovaltine in milk. Other days, he has toast and honey WITH NO BUTTER, rice crackers and peanut butter or a peanut-butter banana.

This morning I came in to find him dipping biscotti in a cup of Chamomile tea with milk.

"I made my own tea." he said.

"Great" I said. "I guess you wanted a biscotti?" [We made them last night at his request]

"I had a hard time figuring out how to make tea," he added, not yet done "until I discovered that there are instructions on the tea box."

"You needed instructions?" To me, brewing tea is a self evident process much like adding milk to cereal.

"Yes, first I thought I should pour boiling water in a cup and then dip the teabag in up and down and up and down. Then I thought I should put the teabag in the teakettle and turn it on to boil it. Then when I'd pour it out it would be tea."

"No, don't do that!"

"But then I found the instructions. It says: 'BRING WATER TO A BOIL. POUR OVER TEA BAG, STEEPING 4-5 MINUTES FOR THE FLAVOR TO UNFOLD COMPLETELY'. So I did that."

He finished his mug of tea with a flourish. Well satisfied.

"You did very well. Now that you like to make tea you can choose any one of my teas in the cupboard. There is Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green Tea, Mint. You make them all the same way. Or you can use my little teapot to brew in."

"CAFFEINE!"

"Yes, they have a bit of caffeine but that's okay"

Frost is enamored of the idea of drinking coffee, because, much like alcohol, it is a forbidden and unknown substance. I buy him the occasional green-tea latte from Starbucks and he feels The Man.

You tell them its for fun

DISCLAIMER: This is a rant.

You tell them its for fun. They're on a team. Its not about who wins or loses.

But there you are on a Sunday afternoon, in a freezing wind, cowering on the sidelines and biting your tongue to stop yourself yelling instructions to your poor 8-year old who is playing soccer against boys, who, unless they are from some other branch of the hominid line, are clearly some years past 8 candles on the cake.

What am I saying? These kids don't have candles! They have daggers stabbed into a block of ice carved in the likeness of my son. They sleep with aphorisms like "shoot for goal from the half-way line" and "There is NOTHING in front of you but your fears" which is why they run right through, into and over my son who is looking a bit aimless in his new red soccer shoes and sounders pants.

So, we get one goal. Its in the first 10 seconds as the other team is still muddled. This is the only goal we get. The oversize team gets 8 goals. We make some good plays but

"the bad team" [as Wren calls them] just kicks through.

Three of our players sub-out crying.

Frost says "I feel bad. I feel disappointed. We got one goal and then we didn't get any more. And they were kind of big."

"Big fuckers." I want to add. " They were big fuckers." But most of all I judge their parents. Do they enjoy sending in their soccer ninja's to crush the ego's of small boys? Is it about competition? Money? God? Is it a small-penis thing?

I really want to know what club you have to join to get your kid on a soccer team that wins. Not all the time. Honestly, I am Not That Parent. However, in 3 years of playing soccer Frost's teams (no, not the same team) has seldom (if ever) won a game.

I think we may have drawn occasionally.

Josh can correct me as when things are going swimmingly and we are All Having Fun, I don't keep score. It doesn't matter.

"If I play soccer more seriously will there be a trophy?" Frost asks.

"Yes, I think they have trophies in some leagues." I say. But I am dismayed.

I ran the line I heard his coach tell the team at the beginning "This is for you to have fun playing and get some practice. Get out there and have fun."

Frost is not buying it. "I had fun kinda. It was fun playing soccer. But it was not fun getting creamed."

I guess this is where I should rise above my irritation and say something big and wise like "eventually you'll be bigger than someone else" or "they probably practice every day and aren't allowed video games."

But I don't. I can't stomach the optimism.

Instead, to offset the tone of this rant I shall leave you with some stolen phrases you may chose to use if your child is mis-matched in a sporting endeavor and seems to care about it:

1. "You don't have to be perfect. Effort and improvement are important."

2. "You are a valuable part of the team"

3. "It is okay to make a mistake, we all do. What do you think you learned from it?"

4. "How can we turn this into a positive?"

5. "I'm proud of you for trying"

6. "I'll bet by next year you will be able to handle [them], you just need to grow a little"

7. "I know you are disappointed that you didn't win, but you'll do better next time."