Infamous

(Overheard being said to the boy in line in front of us at the sign-in table for golf camp)
Counselor #1: And what was your name?
Boy: John Doe
Counselor #1: And what level are you again, John?
Boy: Circle
(John Doe walks away to start warming up.)
Counselor #1: (with a devilish look in her eye) And who might this be?? This isn't Cameron, is it??
Me: (to Cameron) Making yourself known already?
Cameron: (sheepishly) yes...
Counselor #1: And you're Triangle level. Here's your name tag.
Counselor #2: Oh yes, we all know Cameron. He's a smart one!
Me: (curious what's coming next) Yes, I've always thought so.
Counselor #2: We asked him to eat a salty snack yesterday to help keep him hydrated and he told us that he wasn't allowed to eat salt.
Cameron: Our family doesn't eat salt.
Me: (blushing) Well, we don't eat a lot of it. Everything in moderation, you know.

OK, this conversation may not look like much but this is coming off the conversation the previous day when he refused to wear a hat to golf in because all we have are black baseball hats and they told him that a light colored one would reflect the heat better. And the one the day before when he told them all that he wasn't allowed to eat candy. I really wonder about the conversations that must be going on at snack time, lol. I just told him to make healthy choices and go for the apples (his favorite food anyway) instead of the Doritos (which he wishes could be his favorite food). He's probably laying out all these "rules" that we have. LOL, oh my. So really, who is looking like the bigger freak here - him or me?

Am I the only one who wonders about how their homeschooled kids come across next to the "regular" kids? His schooling has never been brought up in front of me, but he is not shy in sharing that fact when kids start talking about what grade they're in and what school they go to. He's proud of his homeschooled status and I'm proud of his pride in it, you know? But I still wonder sometimes. Is he coming off as a little weird because (1) he has a very outgoing and opinionated personality, (2) he's a bit younger than most of the other kids there (the camp is officially for 7 & up but they said he was close enough and they often have younger kids try it out), or (3) because he is homeschooled and not used to dealing with people in the same way that other people are used to being dealt with? I guess the real question is probably whether or not he is coming off weird at all or if it is just my fear that he will. I always feel that Cassia and Greyson are totally out of control and being inappropriate too, but I've come to realize that that's mostly because most people just don't have a lot of young kids. People who do, their kids act just like mine.

But there are a whole new set of insecurities for me now that he is obviously school age. I find that many, many people contemplate homeschooling during the preschool years and quite a few even try it out during the optional Kindergarten year, but most people chicken out by the time that magic age of 6 comes along. We stand out now as homeschoolers, wherever we are during the day in the school year. And I'm ok with that. I guess I'm just wondering now if we also stand out as homeschoolers when we are mixed in with the "normal folk." I don't know why I worry. The counselors obviously like him, even if they do find him a bit precocious. Another one of the boys even walked by and specifically said hi to him after camp while we were hanging out having a lemonade in the club house. Cam told me that a girl was going to bring him a new bottle cap from home for his collection. So he has friends and he's fitting in just fine... why should I worry? Nature of being a mother, I guess? Maybe it's that for one of the first times in his life, I'm not there to watch. I'm not there to catch all the subtle nuances in the conversations. I'm not there to guide him in the more appropriate behavior or reaction. I'm having to trust that he's going to fly simply because he's flapping his wings. Growing up is tough... on a mom.

Hmmm. I had no idea that's where that train of thought was going today. Therapy 101 for me. That what I love about blogging. :)

Nothing really remarkable in the rest of the day. Greyson and I went shopping for some pink party decorations. He is such a doll when it is just me and him. He totally charms the pants off me, lol. He doesn't get into any trouble either. He either plays quietly by himself or snuggles up with me in front of the tv. It kind of makes me suspect (duh) that his mischief is just the easiest way to get my attention when the others are around. What in the world is he going to come up with to get my attention when the New Baby comes? Yikes. Hopefully, since he really loves babies, he will go for the more constructive approach of being a big helper. Pretty please?

Once C&C were home we spent another productive day watching Food Network. I think I have them addicted to Food Network Challenge. They literally begged to watch it, lol. I managed to finish up the mountain of laundry I started yesterday, but it's still not all folded. I really should do that now. Really, I should. I should also do something about all the debris that's managed to strew itself all over the floor in every single room of the house... but that would require bending over. LOL, not gonna happen. The big problem is that by the time the kids are home from camp, it's so hot that I don't even have the energy to be Mean Mommy. Nice Mommy has a really messy house apparently. ;) But DH comes home tomorrow so I better find the inner slave driver soon. He's very grumpy when he comes home to a house that looks like this. I don't really blame him either.

OK, dinner, laundry, bed.