when my boy went to camp

A few noteworthy happenings while our oldest was at church camp this week:

• We sometimes had pancakes left over after breakfast. Amazing!
• I only took four children to Gabriel's 6 month check-up -- instead of five.
• Our family attended a fabulously fun church potluck and cake auction.  Ben would've loved it; it involved a delicious meal and cake-eating! (along with some other hilarity)
• We tried (and failed) to feed the baby his first spoon foods: soft boiled egg yolk and mashed banana.
• A brazen trip to the jeweler's shop without my biggest helper along.  (Don't worry, they were angels.  The worst that could be said about their behavior there was that they got fingerprints on the glass cases as they oohed and aahed over all the bling.)
• Lunch in the Living Room.  Times three.
• We took a week off school!
• Kyle spent most of Wednesday away from home (with a friend) and so I only had three children.  (Eerie!)
• A trip to the library which involved checking out an obscene number of books, followed by...
• A morning o' reading and cuddles.
• Mama on litterbox duty again.
• Mama on garbage duty.
• Mama on post-mealtime sweeping duty.
• Less fighting.
• Our friend and cousin dropped by, brought us berries, and had a fun lunchtime with us.
• I discovered a new favorite sandwich. 
• The batch of sourdough crackers I made on Tuesday actually made it to the weekend.  Unbelievable. 
• We missed him, and prayed for him each and every day!