Sunday, we dropped Edie off at camp.  She fought the idea of 3 weeks away at camp at first.  Admittedly, I had my reservations too.  Although I tried not to let her know that.  I knew it would be good for her.  I knew it would be good for me.  It’s been a big subject of conversation around here.  Uncle Kevin told her that he got sent to camp when he was her age and he was terrified, and then, about 2 hours after his parents left, he realized it was the best thing they’d ever done for him.  She heard a few stories like that.  She seemed to warm up to the idea.  She at least stopped bursting into tears at the mention of camp.

We’ve heard about this camp as long as we’ve known Will Smiley.  He went there every summer starting about the time he had been Edie’s age.  And then he worked there for another 10 years or so after he was too old to be a camper anymore.  It was a formative experience in his life and he really wanted to share it with our girl.  I’ve said here before that Will & Mollie are the sort of friends you consider family, no matter how often you see them.  Not only did Will want to share camp with Edie, he helped make it happen.  And then, to help ease mama into not having her gal around for 3 weeks, insisted we come visit with them at Granny’s cabin at Smith Mountain Lake.

That’s the view from the dock.  We showed up and Will had the boat ready and waiting for us.  Breakfast, lunch and dinners were made without me having to do a thing.  We had a few lovely days of just doing nothing but playing.  It was divine.  Will kept us up to date on what Edie was doing at that very moment, since he knows the schedule there inside and out.  (Sixteen summers at camp will do that to you.)  Abigail talked about how she thinks Edie is so lucky to be old enough to go to camp and she cannot wait until she’s old enough to go with her in 2 years. 

A friend had asked if we could dog sit this week, so when we came home from the lake, we came home to a dear old, stubborn dog eager to see us.  I miss my girl, but I’m so very grateful to our friends who have all stepped up to help ease me over this transition.  I know she is having a great time – as we drove out of camp on Sunday, we saw her bopping down the hill with one of her cabin counselors, taking her allergy meds to the office, and I could tell, she was already settled in.  When we dropped her off and I made her bed, there as a little girl her age in the bottom bunk next to her, with that “We are going to be friends” look on her face as she looked at Edie.  You know that look.  She had a Harry Potter book under her bed, so I’m pretty sure they will be. 
I’ve been asked numerous times, what am I going to do while she’s away?  I have alot of uninterrupted time on my hands, time where I don’t have to worry about dropping what I’m doing to go pick her up or go take her to do this or that.  I intend to work on my business plan.  I want to do some serious house cleaning and purging, including the princess lair, while she’s away.  (She actually left me a list of helpful ‘cleaning options’.)  There is the chicken house project, a few sewing projects to wrap up, some canning to be done, and most importantly, lots of quality time with my husband….

I think I’ll be okay.  After all, it’s only three weeks.