The Leash

Yesterday we got a Parents Manual to Drew’s camp in the mail. Panic rose over me from the tips of my hair to the bottom of my feet. Was it the thought of packing lunches five days a week? I do despise packing lunches but that wasn’t it. Was it picking him up at 2:45 during Gabby’s naptime? Doesn’t exactly sound like a highlight but not it either. Is it drop off at 9:45 which reeks havoc on my workout schedule? Certainly not the most enjoyable part of his seven weeks of summer camp but not the reason for the panic either. Well then, what was it?!?

I have battled the thought of summer camp for some time now. After two horrible swimming incidents, I have looked far and wide for camps that don’t include swimming. It’s not that I don’t want him to learn how to swim, I definitely do. It’s just that I’m leery that anyone will watch him the way I would in the pool (the two previous episodes have proved that). And although I knew that signing him up for this program meant he would have to swim under the guidance of others, I’m just not ready.

My grandma is famous for saying that you don’t get a second chance. It’s one of those statements that doesn’t really help direct you in any direction. I think it was Nana’s way of instilling enough fear in her children and grandchildren to always make conservative decisions. Maybe that’s why I’ve never sky-dived or anything comparable. Or maybe I’m just a big nervous wuss who would never do anything all that exciting no matter what. Either way, it haunts me at the forefront of day camp.

Then there was some mention of wearing camp t-shirts on field trip days. WHAT?!?! Field trip days? I certainly did not sign up for that. I’m not sure I’m comfortable since we cut the umbilical cord period, let alone high schoolers taking my maniac man across camp lines! Is it fair to keep him home from camp on those days?!

At the end of May Drew will be sporting a cap and gown. My baby is graduating from preschool. He will graduate to kindergarten which will lead to full day school and before I know it he’ll be in college (G-d willing). With each step we take, it’s met with some growing pains…mostly mine. I realize that I have to take a leap of faith and let him (my kids) grow up. But I was thinking of just getting an extension leash instead.