After several days of Team WestEnders being down a player, Derek returned from Wilderness School this afternoon...tired, nursing a slight cold, but otherwise intact. (And with all of his stuff--astonishing! Incidentally, it was easy to gauge his level of fatigue: he stumbled off the bus, drifted over to me, and gave me a hug! In public! In front of other parents and his classmates! Yeah, he was wiped.) As expected, it was odd not having him around. The house was noticeably quieter with one less elephant--or son--galloping up and down the stairs. Riley had one less person to listen to his chattering during all of his waking hours (I'll give you one guess as to who got to pick up the slack?) There was a distinct absence of brotherly bickering (upside)...but also a dearth of sibling collaborating and giggling (downside). Upon arriving home, (being the conversational boy that he is) Derek readily regaled us with his own personal Highlight Segment:
Best Outdoor Activity--Predator vs. Prey simulation (in which he was designated an "herbivore"...and, sadly but not unexpectedly..."perished")
Least Favorite Outdoor Activity--Orienteering (yes, he's my child, he can't read a compass, either!)
Best Indoor Activity--the Storyteller (complete with requisite Ghost Story)
Worst Indoor Activity--creating and presenting a "Cabin Song" (I can only imagine the delightful offerings from a group of 11-year old boys. Oy.)
And finally, a Postgame Wrapup from Derek just wouldn't be complete without a critique of the Camp Food...which he summarized as "repetitive." (Evidently the same "ground meat" kept showing up meal after meal, disguised in different ways. Clearly it wasn't fooling anyone.)
Suffice it to say, we're all glad to have him back, full of Outdoor Ed Survival Stories, showered and tucked snugly into his own bed.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...I mean house...Riley's life continued as usual, meaning school and homework. Fresh off his successful "Why My Family Moved to Olney" project, he received yet another two-week assignment to begin preparing. This one (which I also remember Derek doing when he was in 3rd grade) involves choosing a recipe to type up and share with the class. I immediately read the fine print and discovered to my relief that your dish of choice is NOT required to reflect your family's "ethnic heritage" (Yes, I was concerned--just because my ancestors came from Ireland and Germany--several generations ago, mind you--doesn't mean I've inherited an awesome way to prepare...Wienerschnitzel...or...boiled potatoes. Does corned beef and cabbage count? Wait, I don't even eat those...how about a nice tofu entree? Derek interjected at this point to remind me that for his Class Cookbook we submitted: Cheese Quesadillas. What the heck were we thinking? Because, yeah, we're so...Mexican?) Anyway, Riley settled on Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce, which we do actually make and he really enjoys eating. I only hope the rest of the 8-year old crowd finds it tasty as well...and accepts our entry without demanding our (non-existent) Asian-American credentials! Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to go check how many days we have left until Winter Break (aka our Homework Hiatus)...
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