Sweet Peace

This is Alice's first week of Nature Camp. It's 3 days a week from 9am-12pm, 2 weeks long. I thought it would be a little preview into how preschool might go this fall. It's only Day 2, and we both LOVE it. Alice actually loved it when she only knew its name. This is her fancy camp outfit the first day. Sporting her new sandals, 2 ponytails with frilly clips, and a "matching" outfit, she really went all out to make this special.

She came home the first day with a neat craft and stories of gummy bugs for snack (hmmmm). She also scraped her knee at some point. It didn't bother her a bit until I noticed it. Then she asked for a band-aid and said she couldn't walk very well. Indeed.

I love it because Robert has managed to sleep through it both mornings. That means I have sweet peace to ponder and work. I've missed that pondering time. A lot. With a couple hours of pondering, I'm feeling less scattered than I have in a long time. How have I spent my precious time? I've been scraping paint off of Alice's walls, making bread, catching up on chores, and doing a little blogging. All of these activities, without interruption, are conducive to the quiet thoughtfulness I love most.

The fascinating thing is it's a peace that I can't seem to get with a babysitter. I've tried again and again. Babysitters don't bring me peace. I'm always worried in the back of my mind how Alice is doing, if the extra child is stressful for the babysitter, if I've asked too much of a friend to watch my kid(s). I always feel rushed to go pick them up. I can't relax or enjoy what I'm doing. Ever. Somehow, with a school-like structure and a room full of strangers for Alice to play with, I can finally relax. Maybe because it doesn't directly affect my relationships with my friends and family like a babysitter would? Maybe it's because the instructor is paid and I know they want to do it. I don't feel like I'm asking for a favor. I don't know, exactly. That's something I'll be happy to ponder over the next little while :)

*sigh*