11 thoughts on “July 16, 2024: Flyin’ By”

  1. With retirement within a year, I was looking at some good excuses to cut back on my phone time, and considered how I used to enjoy tackling the NYT Sunday crossword that the local rag carried back when we were subscribed to it. Each had some clever theme it would use, and if you could solve enough of the puzzle to crack the unique peculiarity embedded in it, it was extremely satisfying. Mrs Runner ordered a book of 500 of them, and I cut out the first six puzzles and took them and a clipboard along on vacation last week, and it turned out to be a welcome diversion. And to this day I still believe that they're making up words.

  2. I had grand plans for my productivity these next two weeks while the jalapeno would be at camp. Well, he made it all of one night and had to be picked up last night due to mental health and safety concerns. He and Mr. NaCl arrived home at 2:30 a.m.

    Has anyone navigated a failed camp experience as a parent? I think perhaps a 2-week stint was a bit too ambitious (though he picked it himself from a range of options). After the dust settles, I want to think about how he can work toward this sort of thing in more gradual increments.

    1. I've always been too wary (this probably has something to do with the garbage I see at work) so our kids haven't ever really gone on any sort of similar experience without us or a trusted family member. Aquinas is currently on a mission trip which is really the first experience of this type we've had. I think it's going okay so far, as he texted us about the slugs and snails he's seen, and nothing of worrying substance (or any substance for that matter).

      Sorry to hear about this for the Jalapeno. Hopefully it's a block of building and not stumbling.

    2. Has he done day camp?

      I have no useful advice. Love, support and encouragement. Keep trying.

    3. We just had that failed Scout camp experience that completely soured my view on Scouts in general, not that I had a super high opinion of the organization to begin with. An ADHD/anxiety combo isn't great for a multiple day camping experience, especially tossing in miserably hot, buggy weather. I don't know, maybe summer camps just kind of suck.

      1. Haha, I really appreciate this perspective! (Especially since the jalapeno also has ADHD and anxiety...)

    4. Honest Abe is going to a 5-day sleepaway camp in two weeks. Not sure how it'll go, but fingers are crossed.

    5. We just finished a YMCA overnight camp experience for our little one (11). She was going with a friend and I think that helped make it possible to overcome the worries she expressed going in. I’m guessing there’s at least some camp history if he picked a two-week program? That’s a long one.
      Familiarity with the program, people, “camping” in general would probably increase likelihood of success.
      I wish you and him the best working through things.

    6. Thanks, all, for your comments! We've been navigating mental health stuff with him for a little over a year, so fortunately at this point we're pretty well versed in that. The fact that he was proactive about seeking help and didn't follow through on any of the thoughts he was having is all actually really good. He'd picked the 2-week camp, so I think maybe we try to guide him toward some things that help build more of the skills he'll need for a longer trip later on.

  3. We might get a Zebulon in the majors by the end of the year. Admittedly, it's only his middle name but close enough.

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