It is not quite eight in the morning. I woke up early enough to already have the dishwasher unloaded, a load of laundry done, and French press coffee made. I am now sitting on my beloved back porch, enjoying the peaceful morning before the day gets into full swing. Pumpkine and Potatoe are helping me enjoy the morning. Pumpkine is asleep on the very edge of the free standing hammock, and Potatoe is laying right underneath her. It is too warm outside for a snuggle, yet the find a way to be together.
The boys and I kick off another big week this week.
Little Chirp heads back to conditioning camp tomorrow. He is already asking me what days we can go to the gym this week, and he is busy getting his nutrition lined up for the week. The week of getting up at 6 am, and working out for nearly 3 hours a day, will be intense as he returned yesterday from being away for two weeks. He spent one week with my sister and the second week at church camp.
Little Chirp returned to find his first ever debit card waiting for him on his dresser. Most banks required you to be thirteen to get a debit card. We had a heck of a time getting his account opened with Fidelity online. His debit card arrived while he was away. Now that the account is set up; it is perfect because he can have investments and his spending money. Little Chirp loves to monitor his investments. While neither child likes to write reports, both children love doing research.
Little Chirp went with his brother to HEB yesterday evening and made his first debit card purchase – peanut butter. He picked up other items for me, but I am paying him back for those. I found it interesting that he did not want ice cream unless I was paying for it, yet he would gladly shell out six dollars for the healthiest peanut butter at HEB.
Brainy Bird leaves on Tuesday morning for his Pillars camp at South Carolina University. Pillars for Carolina is a student-led organization that creates a foundation of community and confidence through activities centered around leadership, service, and active citizenship to inspire first-year students to leave their mark at the University of South Carolina.
Pillars is one of many initiatives at South Carolina that seeks to immerse kids into the college experience. There are so many skills and things to learn beyond the classroom in college. Brainy Bird has been looking forward to going to Pillars since our tour of South Carolina this past February. I am so happy that he wants to truly be a part of things in college.
There is also a mini amazing race challenge at Pillars. Brainy Bird is wicked good at both physical and mental races, and he is fiercely competitive. I am sure he looks forward to leading his team to victory.
I fondly remember us taking second place in a day long Amazing Race challenge when Brainy Bird was only seven years old. All the other teams consisted of two adults and much older children. Brainy Bird solved everything crazy fast! The whole place erupted in cheers when our second place finish was announced.
Tuesday will be the first of many times that Brainy Bird flies back and forth to South Carolina on his own. He has flown by himself once before. He flew to San Diego for a computer science camp. I then flew back with him at the end of the week. He also flew by himself to Vegas with Little Chirp about four years ago. Dad dropped him off and monitored their every move until the plane took off. My sister and I were there at the gate waiting for them when they got off the plane. The guy sitting next to me on the plane walked up to me and said that they were extraordinarily well behaved. To this day, I am not sure if Little Chirp planted that word with the man, or if this was the man’s own words.
Tuesday will be different in several ways. He will be flying out and back by himself. He will need to get himself to the airport and from the airport to the college, and then from the airport to home. Lastly, he will be catching a connecting flight in Charlotte. There is no better airport than Charlotte to catch one’s first solo connecting flight. I sense that he is looking forward to the day long travel on Tuesday. It gives him the opportunity to work on his programming or read a book. He also seems to like the independence of deciding what to eat on his own. Although, that decision is way to often Chic-fil-a.
He keeps up with the news enough to know that the statistical probability of his flight being delayed is more than 50%. The airlines are having major issues. He already provided his flight information to another student that is driving in for Pillars, so if he is delayed, she can let the leaders of the camp know, and they can figure out what to do. He is set to be there at 2 PM, which is when registration opens, but what if he is delayed and arrives at 11 PM? They are smart kids, they will figure it out.
He flies back to Houston on Friday evening. Is it worth it to do all of that flying for a few days at Pillars? Absolutely. Pillars is only for freshmen, and I want him to have all of the experiences that the college has to offer him.
While he is away at Pillars, Brainy Bird will receive his last round of AP scores. This will be the end of an era of grueling courses that absolutely prepared him for college. At one point in his high school career Brainy Bird resented the letters AP, now he sees the benefits the courses brought him, and he is grateful for the path he chose. In all likelihood, by the end of this week, I will be the parent of a college junior. WHAT??? Brainy Bird’s AP achievements seem incredible even to his high school friends, who finished at the top of the class.
For me personally, I am loving work, and my week will be hectic as I try to wrap up multiple projects before I leave on vacation next week.
This Tuesday Brainy Bird flies to South Carolina on his own. Next Tuesday, the three of us fly to Maryland together for a family vacation.
Funny antidote, my airline status allows me to pick a premium seat free of charge, and to pick a premium seat for one guest. For whatever reason, the online booking will only put Brainy Bird in the other premium seat. Right now, Brainy Bird and I are seated up front, and Little Chirp is alone in the back. He keeps asking if it is really going to be this way. Unlike his brother, who cannot wait to fly alone, Little Chirp wants someone next to him on the plane. Of course, we will work it out. In all likelihood, I will take the seat in the back of the plane, and Little Chirp can take mine. I thought about bumping Little Chirp up to first class to see if he would feel differently about flying alone, but I am not sure $200 is worth the social experiment.
We have just four more weeks of summer before school starts, this is one of the best summers of my life. I plan to enjoy every minute of the upcoming four weeks from delayed flights, to a tour of the DC monuments, to cooking at home with the boys. I will appreciate every minute of it.
It is the simple things in life.