Carrie Link

OUTDOOR SCHOOL DAY TWO

Do you love the irony that Rojo is at Outdoor School on Earth Day? He's been telling me about Earth Day for a few weeks, now, warning me we were going to turn off all the lights, reduce, reuse and recycle more than we already do (which borders on fanatically, already), but he didn't put it together that he'd be like, ON and IN the earth during Earth Day. But he is.

Another really hot day and another day of keeping that hooded sweatshirt ON and over his head - again, the "bees" which means anything that flies. Anything that crawls is a "spider." But he came home less tired, less dehydrated, and more enthusiastic.

"Mom, there's a counselor named Tsunami. He's my BFF. He is going to sleep in my cabin on Thursday when I spend the night. When Kathleen leaves then just, boom, there will be Tsunami. He will just, boom, be my counselor and help me after Kathleen leaves. In the morning I will be all, 'Tsunami, wake up! It's time to take me to the nurse's for my medicine! Tsunami! Wake up! Are you just so excited to see me? Are you ready to go to the nurse's office with me? Don't forget! Promise you won't forget!"

"Mom, Wednesday at lunch I am not going to sit by Kathleen, I am going to let Tsunami sit by me because Kathleen will have me for the whole ride home, but Tsunami will miss me when I leave on Wednesday, so I will just sit by Tsunami so he won't be sad when I leave. Tell Kathleen. Don't forget. Promise you won't forget."

"Mom, we are singing the 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' song! You do it in all the funny voices. I like the sad voice. I like to pretend cry and say, 'Chicka Chicka Boom Boom' like I'm pretend crying. That's really fun to pretend cry."

"Mom, today the Field Study counselor's name was Tangerine. Because she's orange, get it?" (Actually, no, I don't, but he seemed to get why she is orange, and that's good enough for me.) "And there's a counselor named Latte, you know, like you like? Latte, like you like, get it? Latte?"

"Don't forget to pack my suitcase. Don't forget to pack my sleeping bag. Don't forget to pack my medicine. Don't forget to pack my clothes. Don't forget, Mom, promise you won't forget."

I've had my reservations that our whole spend-just-one-night plan would work, but it looks like I've been saved.

By a Tsunami.