Simmering

Camp will be over in another week and a half! I cannot believe it has flown by. Unfortunately, Liberty has just started responding to their methods. But, I am grateful to have had a place for him to go with the intense one-on-one instruction. He will be off for two weeks in August and school will start up once again August 18.

I observed in his room today, first for a 15-minute circle time, and then at a table with intense one-on-one instruction from his teacher. We have been blessed to have such a wonderful woman involved in Liberty's life. While the camp has been greatly disorganized, and communication seems to be off (for instance parents receive memos that the camp coaches and teachers do not - makes for some very confusing situations), we have met this woman who is Lib's camp teacher and I just love her. She is so dedicated to bringing out the best in Liberty and seeing what he can do. And, of course, the teacher makes the difference. I just personally like her a lot, as well, so it's all to the good. She is a person with whom I will want to keep in touch, and so you can't ask for anything better than that.

But, it's funny to see Liberty now so focused sitting quietly at the table matching and doing things he is asked to do, high fiving the teacher and then watching him come home and just flop. Well, home is supposed to be a soft place to land, so perhaps by just playing with us at home he is still learning. You can't structure every thing in their life.

My sister and I were just talking about this the other day. She said, remember doing nothing as a kid? I remember lying around in the grass making clover and daisy chains with my little friends, and cloud watching. We had timeout and it was so necessary. Just time to be, and to assimilate all of the things we were learning in our structured days of school. Just time to simmer awhile.

After camp, I think we will just hang out, watch videos, go to the movies, the beach and pool and get it all out of our system before we have to buy our new school clothes so soon.

Reminds me of this poem from long ago:

"LEISURE"

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs

And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

By Wm. Henry Davies.(Wm. Henry Davies (1871-1940)