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Well, come Friday and I will have an empty nest for 6 weeks when I ship Jenna off to Vernon to join Rachel. The girls will be there for the summer again with Army Cadets taking a summer training course. Rachel is staffing it so she will be doing the teaching and getting paid while Jenna is taking a 6 week rifle coach course. She gets to spend 6 weeks shooting air rifles and teaching young cadets how to shoot air rifles for six weeks. She will also get to shoot C7's this summer which are equivelent to M16's. Big guns. When she is done her 6 week course, she comes home and basically trains the cadets back home here how to shoot air rifles for the corps and for any new recruits trying out for the range team which she is apart of.
I find it isn't as hard to let go this year. I've been through this, I can do this. They are a year older. I'm okay. Then why do I worry when I haven't heard from Rachel in two days? Stupid isn't it? She went up a week ahead of all other cadets to prepare for intake. I know they are busy, I know they are extra busy because they are short staffed this year. So my kid doesn't call for 2 days, big deal? It is a big deal! I want to hear it in her voice that she is okay. I am and still always be MOM. Do I call the cops? You feel like it even though you know nothing is wrong. But you just want to make sure. I know I have to let go, but it sure is hard and when I can't see her and when I can't hear it in her voice that she is okay, I worry. She is still my baby.
This letting go and cutting the apron strings isn't what it's all cracked up to be. It just plain sucks.
So to all of you who have told me you haven't heard form me in awhile, here is overload. I should be able to do more this summer with no kids around and a husband who goes to bed at like 9pm to get up with the birds! So, I should be outblogging everyone for the next 6 weeks. Lookout Julie!! Maybe with luck, I'll have some more hillarious stories from camp to share with you this year. Knowing Rachel, I'm sure there will be something, if not wild boar than her tales of curbing the attempts of 12 years olds trying to prove how cool they are by seeing if they can sneak out of their tent without getting caught! Can't wait to hear the stories.
Fact to remember:
You have raised an amazingly capable daughter who will have no problems looking after herself....and others.
Thanks Chris for the vote of confidence and for putting it so well.