MotherReader

Ah, I feel like a person again. It takes me a whole day to recover from one of those camping trips. I realized today that it’s not just the lost sleep, but that it takes time to shake off the stress off being in charge. Being a supremely unorganized person, the lead-up to these Girl Scout Encampments is torture. Packing for me, my two daughters, and the troop — remembering the forms, maps, special activities, and supplies — is exhausting. Once we’re there, I have a great time and I’m laid back about whatever happens. Someone falls in the river? Huge spider inside the tent? Inadvertently inviting a large and somewhat odd troop to join our campfire? Hey, teens can change clothes, spiders can be swept out, and prankster girls who decide to scream “Vampire!” at a passing troop learn their lesson when that troop thinks that they yelled “Campfire!” and comes to join them. We all had a good time in spite of the rain, but it was good to see flush toilets again. Really good.

Now, I didn’t get back to the Summer Blog Blast Tour yesterday, so today I’ve got both schedules. Looks like I’ve got a lot of interview reading to do today.

Monday’s SBBT Schedule:

• Andrew Mueller at Chasing Ray
  
• Kekla Magoon at Fuse #8
  
• Carrie Jones at Writing & Ruminating
  
• Amber Benson at Bildungsroman
  
• Greg van Eekhout at Shaken & Stirred
  

Today’s SBBT Schedule:

• Maya Ganesan at Miss Erin
  
• Amber Benson at lectitans
  
• Carolyn Hennesy at Bildungsroman
  
• Jo Knowles at HipWriterMama
  
• Sherri Winston at Finding Wonderland
  

Tomorrow I’ll have my interview with Barbara O’Connor. At least one of my questions was close to that Chris Farley sketch: “You know how you write these amazing books about small towns without giving the characters all these bizarre traits and you make your endings so real and satisfying at the same time? That’s awesome.”

I have to do a ridiculously abridged post because I need to be at work shortly, and yet cannot shirk my posting responsibility entirely. So...

From my Facebook update, I can let you know that I survived the camping trip. No rain the first evening and night. One thunderstorm the second afternoon, then rain the second evening and overnight. So, I’m seeing the rain gauge as half full.

From the Summer Blog Blast Tour, I can tell you that it starts today with many great author at many great blogs that I don’t have the time to list and code for you. In the meantime, I’ll point you to the master of ceremonies, Chasing Ray with the full schedule.

From the 48 Hour Book Challenge, sign-ups are going great and will continue up to the last minute... because “Last Minute” is my middle name. (Which makes filling out official forms a real bitch.)

And last minute is exactly how I’m leaving for work now.

After I got back from the Kidlitosphere Conference at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning, and after a full week of work, blogging, and activities, I got to go to Girl Scout Camp. Oh joy.

Now I like nature, but mostly as viewed through a screened window — as God intended it.¹ However, I make sure our troop goes camping because I believe that we should all stretch our comfort zones.

The first word I heard about the camp was not promising, but the trip was a wonderful experience. We kept a laid-back approach and gave the girls freedom to explore and fall — literally, in the actual creek water. Here’s our weekend in a series of haiku. (Oh, Anastasia’s got today’s Poetry Friday round-up.)

Mice? In the cabins?
You have to be kidding me.
Should have picked the tents.

Finally let loose.
teens buck sophistication
to play on the rocks.

Into our silence
the creek babbles, birds chatter
the forest leaves speak.

Taking off our shoes
The cold water feels so good
On our tired feet.

Nine middle-school girls
and three leaders in one room.
Sleep proves elusive.

Morning hike reward
a sun-dappled waterfall
Complete enchantment.