Fathers and Sons

I'm embarrassed to admit , I wasn't all too keen on the Fathers and Sons camping trip this year. I'm not sure why, but I just had a little attitude about it. Nothing vocal, nothing major, just something inside.

Until I started explaining to Andrew that he was going to be going camping with his dad. Just to make sure because it had been a while, I asked, "You know what camping is?" "Camping is wif a tent!" And he was so excited. He really couldn't talk about anything else. "I'm going to sweep in a tent with daddy!"

Natalie of course wanted to go too. "I go too?" "I sweep in a tent too, mom?" I felt so bad for her when I explained that only Andrew was going with dad, but that we were going to do something REALLY fun at home.

Andrew was sweet and said, "Natalie can come too mom! James can stay with you."

The departure time was pretty much heart wrenching. Not for Andrew, who was grinning from ear to ear sitting in daddy's car waiting to leave. But for Natalie, who was also sitting in daddy's car waiting to leave and who sobbed like I have never seen her sob for a good 20 to 30 minutes after we pulled out of the driveway and left daddy's "filfer" (silver) car behind.

She was devastated. She wanted to go so badly. And I thought, what about Fathers and Daughters?! Or Fathers and Kids?!

I arrived at our girls' night destination and finally got her to calm down a little bit and soon she was smiling, eating pizza, painting her toenails pink, playing with the other kids, and swinging on one of the best tree swings ever. And I realized that I was on "Mothers and Daughters" and that that was just as fun and just as important. The only reason she will feel like she is missing out is if I feel like she is missing out.

And then there was the return from Fathers and Sons. My son came home a very happy boy. He loved every minute of it. And I realized how important that Fathers and Sons experience really is.

John and Andrew came home in time to get Andrew on the soccer field about 10 minutes late for his game (John came running from the car with Andrew in his underwear to where I was on the field with Andrew's uniform waiting) and it was his best game ever. He was actually in there kicking the ball! And I couldn't help but think that the father-son time had been a part of that.

**I would post a picture of Andrew and John at Fathers and Sons or of me and Natalie hanging out with friends that night, but I gave John the camera to take so I didn't have it and he came back without one picture!

And another note--too bad I missed almost all of Andrew's best game ever. I got to the game and realized that I had treats for the game. I ran and got some, but missed the game. I did get to see some of the action before I left. Note to self--write treat assignments on the calendar when you write the game times down.