Metcalf Bottoms

Perfect summer fun; we joined Langfords, Sextons, Ebberts and Smiths catching fish and crawdads, skipping stones, floating on tubes, building rock dams, digging in mud, icy cold water. Scott was so jealous that we went while he was at work. We'll be headed back with him before school starts. I love you, Smoky Mountains.

Girls Camp

A friend and I were in charge of the 1st years. They are so funny. And sweet. And trying (of patience). But mostly sweet. I taught them to play Parlez-vous Francais and felt the most agreeable nostolgia for my first year of camp.
We hiked to twin arches, which I'd never seen before and it was beautiful.
The leaders surprised the girls with water balloons after the flour war. They all gave us gluey hugs when we sang We Are The Champions.
They have a song for every single possible situation. Bursting into camp songs left and right; while waiting, when someone said "announcements", while doing dishes.
The songs and the skits were hilarious. Hil-ar-i-ous.
The pranks were plentiful. Best one? When two leaders tackled and bound in duct tape some girls who'd been pranking them.
I got five gnats in my eyes.
We had the best craft in the history of camp crafts.
I remembered my camera but forgot the battery, still charing at home.
The entire time the foremost thought in my mind was Emma. She'll be going next summer. What will she think of dancing the Sally Walker? Will she come up with some good pranks? Will she fall for gawking? Will she be timid or bold? Reserved or spontaneous? Will her testimony grow, strengthen, solidify?
I've already requested to go help out next year if they'll have me. I'm dying to spy on my oldest and see how she takes it all.

You know by now...

...I love the beach.

This year was no exception.

Lydia's first year to discover boogie boarding.

I was afraid she wouldn't like getting sandy. Silly me, she loved it.

By the third day these little jellyfish were washing up by the dozens.
On the forth day one of them stung Afton when she picked it up out of the water.
After an tense, crying twenty minutes or so she was fine. No one got back in the water though.

 

Driptopia.

Creatures haunting beds

When Lydia was younger (and sometimes still) she used to have regular nightmares about some type of bug or animal being in her bed. One night we heard her screaming (screaming) and ran in to find her leaping to the ground in an all-out panic and wailing, "There's a dog in my bed!!" with a terror in her eyes that let us know her dream was 100% reality to her. Similar scenarios repeated over the course of months (years?); spiders, ants, snakes, you name it.
None of our older children ever had recurring nightmares (though Emma had incoherent night-terrors for years when she was little). But for some reason Afton has begun to have the exact same creature-in-the-bed scary dreams that Lydia had. Afton often wakes up repeatedly for a few hours, each time convinced that she has a visitor in her bed, sobbing and pointing out where she saw them.
Last night Afton dreamed about mice, fish, crabs (we were at the beach...more on that later!), spiders, then mice again. It was a long night.