June 14, 2009

And Then...


Conclusion: it was, for the most part, well done. You take six kids (seven, with a play date thrown in for the youngest) ranging from 8 to 14 and you aren't dealing with children anymore. There's the transition into teendom (Heaven help us all!) that I didn't fully prepare for and had memory prods of what an attitude I had at that age! The oldest flew home after the first week leaving two BFF (Best Friends Forever) pairs plus the youngest-who-will-not-be-ignored!

The all time favorite was tubing on the big lake with the old man successfully causing them to lose their grip and fly off... someone kept score but it wasn't me. Big grins all 'round. Our little lake saw a bit of action, but not much... thought the sail boat and kayak would be hits but not. The old golf cart made repeated hill climbs with various drivers and just about went up in smoke but survived... I think.

We did break out the watercolor kit but the assortment of Oops paint from Home Depot was more fun. When will I learn? I'd picked up some $1 frames from Michael's for them to paint and then went searching for odd scraps of wood which was just as fun to paint. Pollock would have been proud of their spattering. The local community had an Art Walk one night and we visited Kentuck Fine Craft Museum with all it's open studios, meeting artists and seeing demos... then made a gallery visit before rains washed us out.

The cooking camp part consisted of one evening of discussing a meal everyone would eat (vast taste differences) and settled on shrimp kabobs with grits. Big success in my book! They contributed whenever appropriate with other meals but I didn't push a big organized effort to control. We visited a resturant with a counter that viewed the kitchen and the owner took pains to entertain... we appreciated! I'd anticipated more involvement with daily cooking but, like Xmas, anticipation is where the real fun is!

Technology played a big role in this group... some were on their phones almost constantly... texting or talking... way into the night. No need to keep parents updated, they were probably more informed than I ;) I joked to one that there was no way I could mistreat them as they would tell on me immediately! But that's part of their lifestyle and I certainly understand, I'm hooked too.

There were some good side trips... the local Science Center has a great kid set-up of all kinds of exploration... and the University Museum of Natural History was more time well spent.

Conclusion... Good times and good memories were made. I love these girls, with all my heart! Always will. But as teens, I think I'll leave the details to their parents who understand better than I what today's society is all about. We had our turn and produced three really great kids I couldn't be more proud of! And they're doing a super job with their not-so-little ones... my hat is off to them!

Now... back to the studio where I think I might know something... if I haven't forgotten!

4 comments:

Sizun said...

Glad to be updated about those holidays by the lake. Certainly some unforgetable holidays with outdoor activities and art related ones... A nice balance, really. My hat off to you, Karen !

Martha Marshall said...

Wonderful times! I miss them around here. Mine are too old and busy with school and jobs to come for extended visits any more, much less to try to coordinate them with each other. You are so wise to savor this time now. It can be exhausting, but the great memories will last forever!

Karen Jacobs said...

I also have two in college, one may marry next year after graduation... they will be here over the Fourth. You're right about coordinating the whole group... just can't happen anymore due to so many schedules to deal with. This is probably the last time we have a big group of kids without their parents along for the ride... but glad we proved we could do it!

Lisa said...

The fulltime "only" child certainly had an interesting time adapting to the "big" family scenario but came home content with stories and memories that will last. She and Joe sit around with their respective i-toys comparing Apps and tease me for my um, techphobia. Some things change quickly (technology), some do not (teen angst). Perhaps shared memories of teen rebellion are a good thing? It keeps us from carrying out the desire to throttle them. Thank you.