Rats! What are these people thinking?

For my teenaged son to attend a mission trip with the church this summer, attendance at spring church camp is required. From the research I've done, (talking to people, not published research papers) church camp is the #2 place to get lots of sexual experience. I've always felt that way, and the church camp I went to certainly held fast to the rule.

Add to that the location of this year's camp and date: Spring Break at Daytona.

Great. Lots of booze and "fast" college kids in less-than-modest clothing.

Unless there's one-chaperone-per-kid hanging on like a bodyguard to Jenna Bush, ain't no way my son will be going.

But I gotta wonder, what are these people thinking?

This Wife's Hardest Job

Teenage son has the next two weeks off from school. He's on this dumb 9-weeks-on-2-weeks-off schedule to ease the overcrowding of our local high school. Knowing full well that a bored teenage boy is scarier than Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy put together, I sent hubby an email at work, printed off a copy and put it in his home inbox as well. I told him dates and times of this "intersession" and suggested he think about constructive projects to occupy the boy's time. He agreed and said he'd work on it.

Well, here it is. Tomorrow is day one. Son is already sitting around shuffling a Rubik's Cube and asking why didn't I get to the store today to buy him some treats. Just so happens hubby took today off from work, so I sent him to go talk to hubby. Hubby comes to me and wants to know why I sent son to him.

"Remember the email I sent you? His two week vacation has started and he needs the list so he won't be bored making us crazy."

"What vacation?"

"The two-week intersession. Remember? 9-weeks-on-2-weeks-off no school for the next two weeks? I sent you an email and you said you'd help me come up with some ideas to keep him busy and out of trouble? It's now."

"Nah. Don't remember a thing about it."

"I can work on a list if you'd like."

"No, I can do it. But you should have said something before this."

The hardest job this wife has is shutting up. Every fiber of my being wants to march him into his home inbox, have him get out the note and read it. I know he saw it when I put it in there because he mentioned it to me that night. I know it's still there because every day I put his mail right on top of it. Which means that every day when he opens his mail, he knows he has reached the end of today's mail because there is the note from his wife. It all goes back to being ignored.

Lord, grant me the peace to not throw the toaster at dear hubby.

That's not true, Mr. Spock, they give us love!

I have two wonderful cavies (guinea pigs.) Watching them interact is just like watching children. Ash is only a few months older than Ginny, but she's clearly in charge. She can also be a bit of a bully. Ginny is quite at her mercy, but is also very creative, intelligent and nurturing of Ash.



When Ash is in heat, she becomes even more ornery. One day, close to feeding time, Ash chased Ginny into the pigloo, then moved toys in front of the entrance, locking her in. I suppose she thought that she'd get the dinner all to herself that night. But Ginny, in her calm, thoughtful manner, waited for the familiar crinkle of lettuce wrap, lifted the pigloo with her nose, crawled out from under it and joined Ash at the supper bowl.

Come a thunderclap, Ash runs to find her protector, Ginny. It's so funny to see Ash, almost 1/3 larger than Gin, nosing her way under Ginny's tummy to hide like a baby would hide beneath her mother.

And, just like a moody teenager, Ash will sometimes lash out and nip a finger for no apparent reason. Getting offended and thinking "She's upset at me. What did I do?" makes about as much sense as asking her to explain herself. Sometimes you just have to forgive and move on.

I think there's a lesson for me there. I have one child that the more he is spoken to, whether in correction or humor, becomes more and more belligerent. He has a tendency to lash out with whatever words he knows will hurt the most. He hates me. I'm a terrible parent, teacher, human being. But he can't explain what the problem is specifically. I have done nothing to offend him other than to speak to him. So, I just have to forgive and move on. Not easy.