Tuckered Out

Cade left for Boy Scout camp on Sunday, but, until tonight, I hadn't seen him since Friday, when I left for East Tennessee.  I handled this separation better than others, earlier in the summer.  The Lord and I have been tussling over my anxiety, so perhaps I'm making progress, but I can't say for certain because I've been very distracted, this past week, running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Anyway, Cade had a great time at camp.  Earned six merit badges, he said, and I learned with pleasant surprise: he became a chaplain's aide this week.  He explained: his friend Sam wanted to become a chaplain's aide, and since (Hello, buddy system!) Cade had to accompany Sam everywhere, Cade was afforded the opportunity to become a chaplain's aide, also.  So yay for a boy who carries, in his heart, the desire to become a chaplain's aide, also for a son who chooses such a kid as his buddy for the week. 

It was hot as the dickens at camp, this evening, and it took about forever for the boys to get the show on the road.  But someone gave us Gatorade, and I had plenty of bug spray (because every insect known to man makes a beeline...har, har...for Clementine) and tons of stuff for the Wild Orange to do, color, etc.  So we survived.

The Boys Heading Our Way, from Afar

Bless her heart: she always has to take pictures of her brother...

Afterward, the five of us went to DQ for Dilly Bars. 

Cade could hardly wait to take a shower, but I had to bathe Charleigh before letting him in the bathroom, because she wasn't playing when it came to eating that Dilly Bar.

After Cade's shower, I bathed Clementine, put her to bed, made a sad attempt at putting Charleigh to bed, came downstairs with Charleigh and handed her to Jim, looked over at Cade, and saw...

Tuckered out.

I considered drawing a mustache on him, or painting his fingernails, or dipping his hand in water (because he couldn't do anything to the couch that hasn't already been done, yo).  But...then I figured he'd probably experienced plenty of that tomfoolery at Boy Scout camp and probably hadn't slept so well for nigh about a week.  So, I took off his glasses and put 'em on the mantle.  I covered him up with a quilt and--rather than heading up to bed--settled into Jim's chair to write this post.  And listen to Cade snore gently for just a little while.  

Because, really, there's hardly anything quite so lovely as having him so near.