Peace

Peace is when everyone in the house is sleeping but you!!!!  And you get to play all the spider solitare you want without your husband looking down crinkly-nosed at you wondering if there is a pile of laundry to fold or a dishwasher to unpack.  Ahhhh.... the benefits of intercontinental travel.  Of course, the same technology that provided me this peace, gave me the means with which to publicly announce to the world that my husband is a nudge and doesn't like it when I play spider solitare.  I am sure I will enjoy said benefits of technology when said husband comments back . . .  =)

I am enjoying my lazy days.  After dropping kids off at camp at 8 am, I come home and work (trying to write a piece of curriculum), play spider solitare, talk to grandpa, and plan days for two or three hours.  Then Marla, my step-cousin, who is one of my favorite people in the world, we usually do something.  If inspired, we go for a walk.  If lazy, we get coffee or lunch.  By that point, I usually have to pick the kids up.  Then we head off to the pool.  I bought a VERY expensive pool pass (makes wilmette and skokie pool look cheap).  Fortunately, we are ENJOYING it immensely as my grandparents seem adverse to air conditioning.  The kids are all hot and bothered from camp and we go and cool off. 

Ben is supposed to have an overnight "white night" at camp on Thursday.  No camp during the day - and they are UP all night.  (Not a (semi) sleep over.  NO FLIPPIN sleep).  He was very excited about it from the beginning - but as he is spending more time at camp - he is finding the language to be problem.  duh.  If they are doing an activity - he is having a great time.  If they are sitting around talking and hanging out -- he is lost.  They will try and include him up to a point, but he knows he is missing so much.  Today they played funky capture the flag.  Each game had a different set of rules.  He was so frustrated - just as he figured out the rules, they'd change them . . literally.... Needless to say, Ben -- who would invariably capture the flag and be a hero -- assigned himself to defense (I guess they kept changing the rules about where the middle line was and how and what you had to do to cross the line????).  Not a horrible experience by anyone's measure.... just coping the inability to capture the flag. 
Marla's daughter is friends with both the kids' counselors - so she will talk to his counselor (who speaks little english) and find out what exactly is happening that night.  If it is entirely social (campfires and hanging out and singing) I don't think he'll go.  If it is activity based. . .  he'll go.  The camps here are so much more creative than in the states.  Mostly because they aren't worried about litigation or fox news.  Like today was a massive water gun fight - gorilla warfare style.  Paint ball with water.  I just don't see JCC Kaplan doing that. .  . Or all week they've been building a team hut.  I think they are supposed to camp in it at white night. 

Sarah is doing great!  The kids speak a lot less English in her group, but her counselor is awesome and the girls just hold her hand -- the international language for "I got you."  She is happy and trying to help her brother decide about white night.  Too cute.