Pining….

Maya left this morning for an overnight ‘camping’ field trip with her class. I say ‘camping’ in quotes, because they get to sleep in heated cabins. That’s MY kind of ‘camping’ too, by the way. I remember going to science camp when I was in 6th grade, which was a 1 week camp that all of the school kids went to. It was SO FUN, perhaps the most fun legally allowed for kids who haven’t gone through puberty yet. So I’m sure she is going to have a GREAT time, hiking and singing around the camp fire (if they don’t get rained on…storm scheduled for tonight or tomorrow early), giggling with her friends, getting really dirty and muddy, all of that.

And me? Well, I have the night off from homework and kid type obligations. Ted and I could conceivably go out to dinner or a movie…but since he gets up at 4AM, and I get up at 5, I don’t know how much stamina we’ll have for painting the Wednesday Night Town red. We’ll see.

Mostly, right now, I’m missing my girl. I mean 99.99999% of me knows that the mad fucker isn’t going to attack my child in her sleep tonight, he’s going to go somewhere else. And that same 99.99999% knows she won’t fall and break a leg, or have an appendicitis or something like that. I mean, what are the chances? I make fun of people who worry when their kids are gone camping overnight. I think, “You worry wart, get over it…” But the thing is, this is the first time she’s done something like this, and….she didn’t want me to come along. They need several parents to come and spend the night, so that there is an adult in each cabin to beat off the mad fucker, should he come along. I was going to volunteer for this job, assuming she would want me to be close by. Wrong. She wants to be ‘independent’ (her word), and would feel more so with me at home, and her there. I’m doing something right as a parent, right? If she feels confident enough to do this, Maya, who used to hide behind us when we would drop her off to school, who wanted us EVERYWHERE with her, if she wants to be more independent, then we are doing something right, and she is growing up. But I miss her. How could you not miss a kid who leaves notes like this outside her bedroom door when she’s mad?

Notice the T-Rex holding the note, and that he’s standing on drums. How can you not love that?

And how can you not love a kid who sews a stuffed trilobite and names her “Elizabeth” (thanks Auntie Kathy, for the sewing help on this one!), and sleeps with her for weeks? I mean, really.

She’s a special kid. We are very fortunate to have her. 🙂 So, I intend to enjoy tonight without her, and be thrilled to see her tomorrow when she comes home, tired, filthy, and happy.

8 Comments

  • Autumn's Mom

    She’s going to have a fabulous time and it will be tomorrow evening when Maya’s in the shower before you know it! I love how we both have very interesting daughters. It’s like a special club ;D

  • Jessica

    Oh…My…God – she is precious!!!

    She will have such a wonderful time (my son LOVED his similar experience).

    Thanks so much for pointing me in the direction of Bitch PhD’s Annika post – I mentioned my auction in her comments as well…every little message helps get money to this important cause.

  • Piece of Work

    Good for you! Of course you did the right thing, and it’s fabulous that Maya wanted this little bit of independence. She’s beautiful, by the way, and I’m sure the mad fucker will stay far away!

  • Anonymous

    Don’t worry, “the mad fucker” is up in Alaska. Isn’t that what your brother Richard thought Maya thought he was when she was 1 ? You know, Richard = Mad fucker.

    -T

  • J

    That’s right…he was! But if her uncle Richard came and got her, that would be ok, because he’d probably just take her to look at dinosaur stuff or computer games. It’s the other ‘mad fuckers’ that bother me. 😉

  • Maya's Granny

    Does she love trilobites because Richard’s web site is trilobite.com? I certainly love her trilobite.

  • J

    She loves trilobites because she is Maya. No other reason that I can see. I don’t think she’s ever been to Richard’s website, to tell you the truth.