A Happy Camper

My darling oldest son is off to camp this week. My parents went with me for the long drive, thank goodness (12 hours from the time we left the house until we returned)! I drove there and dad drove back. It was a bitter sweet drive for me, the first time my son would be away for so long and so far from home. Granted this camp is set up specifically for kids 11-17 years old with the same sorts of medical conditions that he has. We got him a pay-as-you-go kind of phone - I was going to just send my cell with him, but then I got several calls over the weekend for info on the apartment and decided I could not send him that one. I showed him the basics of how to use it - I had programed mine, Mikes, and my parents numbers into it so he could call who and when he wanted. I realized when we got there we had forgotten to pack his alarm clock. By the time he called me that night he had figured out how to use the alarm feature on his phone and was checking out the other cool things he could do. As we closed the call I ended with my standard, "I love you". For the first time there was a LOOONNGG pause, then "you too. There are a lot of people here, Mom". Pretty much the same response the next night when after he told me to tell Mike and Pete he said "Hi" I said "we all miss you" ........ crickets, crickets, crickets......... "Bye, Mom". Last night he called all excited, first he appologised for forgetting to call me Wed night. They had just returned from spending the afternoon and evening at Kings Island. They stayed for the closing fireworks and then back to the dorms at Xiavier University were they are having the camp. He was not given a ton of spending money for camp and he complained about the price of the ice cream he wanted because he was so hot - $5 for a small cup, Mom!!" While we were talking his councelor for his group (#6 for those of you who may care) got on the phone with me to tell me what a great kid he is, how well he is behaving there, and that is is using his listening ears when they are giving directions. Good to know that stuff lasts even when he is away from me. I am ready for him to come home, even though the peace of only one child at home will be over. Fiona really misses him. Every time I go down to the basement she is laying on his bed. Oh, and when we hung up last night, he told me he loves me too!!!