Summer....The Busy Season

What a SUMMER!! We have been so busy and active that I have not hardly had time to stop and write, or continue on my blog for the time period.

Kirby has spent most of the summer with his dad leaving me ample free time to spend time with friends, boy scout meetings, work, research, applications to colleges.

Kirby spent a week at boy scout camp this summer. He had a marvelous time as usual! He was so excited that he made a new friend. His new found friend and he are hard to keep apart. After a week at camp I went up to spend the final campfire evening with him. He earned the rifleshooting merit badge and the archery merit badge. He has spent 2 years working on those 2 merit badges. It was enough to spur him onto the next level of advancement in boy scouts. He has earned his tenderfoot rank and is headed for his second class.

For as much as I found some of the rules and regulations of boy scouts to be not what I wanted for Kirby, Kirby has taken too them like a duck to water with the structure and routine the program offers. He lives by the scout oath and law. He came home from camp a young man this year. He has managed to make a new friend. He has taken on a position of leadership in the troop. He has matured more than I expected.

**Tear**Sniff** They grow so fast. :)

Not only that but we have been spending some Wednesday nights at movies in the park. I love it we would pack a picnic basket, the back of the trailblazer would be filled with our chairs, blankets and pillows and we would head to the park after work with a group of friends. We would pull up a huge piece of grass and all of us would sit around and chat, play bingo the kids would win prizes and we would have a good time.

We have one more movie night for the summer and it will be the perfect way to end the first week of school and the end of summer. We are going to see Wild Hogs. The kids are so excited to see a motorcycle movie. We will have to wait and see.

We have spent a few weeks camping this year (since I have more vacation time now). So many thing so little time.

Kirby has also had his challenges. I am really having to watch his anger over past experiences. He holds onto it, we are finding ways to let it go when we talk about an incident. It's a practice we have to get into both he and I so that he can find ways to let go of emotions he still can't control. He knows what they are but how to handle them is a different aspect all together.

The other aspect I am working on with Kirby is spending one on one time with him. He is almost 13 and stepping into time where he doesn't want to be around anyone. He wants to hole up and avoid the world. I can't fully let that happen. I give him his time but I make the time for him and I in a cozy, quiet corner, a tent or a homemade tent and we take the time and talk about what happened during his day or while at his dad's or what is bothering him.

Making time as the Busy Season Ends....:) Just in time for the busier season to start!