Mountains + Recruit 2 = Anxiety

So I took my boy to the mountains and left him with people we don't know. They are going to dangle him off a rope, make him maneuver a watercraft through rapids, eat crickets and build a shelter out of banana leaves. Okay, I doubt the cricket and banana leaves will happen, but none the less I'm a little STRESSED! I miss him!

I drove him the 6 hours to the camp location on Thursday. It was just him and I and I have to say we had a great time. He is smart, clever, and has a wicked sense of humor. I woke him up at 0430 because my plan was to rent a car, drive there, kick him out along with his man gear and then high tail it back to our tiny town thus paying for only one day car rental. The best laid plans...

The car rental and cost of gas would be LESS than driving the green beast there and back. Crazy! So I woke him up at 0430 because I wanted to take off at 0500. I woke him again at 0451. He SAID he was awake. Doubt that since I shook him and stripped all the covers off.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints my Marine holds the Priesthood and so the night before had given Recruit 2 a blessing. In the early moring hours I knew I was facing a long day fraught with anxiety and much of it I would face alone on the return trip so I requested a blessing before we took off. It always amazes me how well Father in Heaven knows his children.

I tell you this because I find it interesting and take great comfort that Heavenly Father knows me so well and that my bleary eyed Marine hardly ever remembers what is said in blessings he gives.

During the blessing I was told Recruit 2 would be safe, face challenges etc and something my Marine said started to stress me during the blessing, I could feel my mind start to race with questions like "Oh my gosh, does that mean something scary or dangerous will happen? Will he be injured and recover? Will he be scared? What if he needs me and he can't call me? What if..."

Right about then I tuned back in to my blessing. (Don't tell The Marine my mind was wandering during the blessing, he'll frown at me) I started listening again just in time to hear the words "you have a keen mind and a strong and active imagination, control your emotions and your imagination and temper them. dont' let them control you and know Recruit 2 will not be given more than he can handle".

Talk about being known! Wow!!

I still haven't told The Marine about that because he would know I wasn't listening to him and he doesn't come on the blog often so he won't know and I don't want to be frowned at...

anyway, here is The Marine and Recruit 2 at 0500 right after my blessing.

The goonies, I made them take another one. They were all whiney about the flash being bright blah blah blah...

I wasn't sure this was much better. I tried to energize them and show them how a "ROAD TRIP" begining picture should look like. We got a brief seedling of a smile out of Recruit 2.

So on the road. We stop at a gas station and I wake him up. I had to sing really loud to stay entertained while he completed his beauty rest. Actually I thought he was faking until I saw his mouth hanging open.

Finally he woke up and got into the spirit of the road trip. This is a self portrait. We put the timer on the camera and set it on the dash board. I need lipstick.

We arrive WAY early and so had to kill a couple of hours. We ended up being in 3 different Wal-Marts that day, 2 Goody's clothing stores, 4 Gas stations, 2 McDonalds, and one Hibbets Sport store. Finally it was time to take him to the camp. We were both pretty tired and getting a little punchy. I started to document dropping him off and realized my camera wasn't working! OH NO! MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE MY EYES!!!

Recruit 2 informed me it was still on the ten second timer from our last picture in the car. I said OOOOHHHH thank goodness, don't move! That would be the expectant "I'm gonna move" look he's giving me as he is trying to unload his gear.

Now we got the giggles. We had been inside and checked in but no one really came up and said:

"Hi, I'm going to be in charge of your son and responsible for his physical, emotional, and mental well being for the next ten days so please don't feel awful about driving back down the mountain away from him and all the way across the state and leaving him in the care of complete and total strangers."

So we managed to have a giggle fit I think to cover up our nerves or we were just punchy and tired. (I know that's not manly to say he giggled, but he did, he just flat out got the giggles with me until we were both crying from laughing and I had to potty.) Recruit 2 calmed down enough for me to get this.

But then we started giggling again when he said they were probably watching us out the window wondering what was wrong with us. So we giggle some more and then we took this:My eyes are glistening, but we stopped short of causing me to have an asthma attack. We go back into the big building in the background and drop his gear and then just stand there. I'm still thinking these folks need to work on their transitions for parents.

So being the meek and mild Marine Wife that I am I announce outloud and to no one in particular that I'm not leaving until I meet at least one counselor in charge of my kid. I know he's bigger than me and all, but he's still my baby and I not leaving until I see someone.

There was a brief pause and then they escorted Recruit 2 and I upstairs where the kids were already gathering with a counselor. I was the only parent. This man/boy comes over who looks the same age as my son but with a beard that would make most men jealous and shakes our hands. Wade and I hug and I walk DOWN THE STAIRS, OUT THE DOOR, GET IN THE RENTAL CAR AND DRIVE AWAY ALL BY MYSELF!

(you should be shocked and awed right now)

This is the road I drove away on:

See it behind those skinny trees across the big ditch/ravine? Yes, I cried. I cried and kept driving. I can't believe I didn't turn around and rush up stairs and demand one more hug.

The only thing that made me not was I saw Army kids getting dropped off and I was not about to embarrass Recruit 2 and spoil the image of the tough Marine Corps family. But I came close! Plus another mom left her son and he didn't even hug her. At least I got a sort of half hug. She turned and I saw her eyes glistening. I asked her how old he was and she said 15. The same as Recruit 2. That was it for me. I couldn't offer her words of comfort or I'd lose it.

So I drove home. I ended up paying an extra day for the rental because I got in about 2300 that evening. I am so excited for my cute boy. I can't wait to hear all his adventures when I pick him up. I'll have Recruits 5 and 6 with me then. THAT will be a story!