Camp Grandma and Bompa

Choosing to join the Foreign Service means that you might not get to see your family as often as you used to.  And that's been pretty hard.

Of course, family and friends come and visit.  And if you're going to a really wonderful place, they may come and visit often.  But it's still not the same as being able to drive a few hours to see your cousins, parents or grandparents.

But we may be starting a new tradition.  Camp Grandma and Bompa.  This year, to coincide with the beginning of Language Training, we sent our kids to stay with my parents for 3 weeks.  Leading up to it I was both excited and scared.  Excited for my kids to be able to spend some great times with my family and excited for K. and I to get to spend some nice uninterrupted quality time as we started language training.  But I was scared too.  Neither one of us has been away from our kids for this long.  It's a long time to go without hugs and kisses from your babies.

My mother is absolutely thrilled.  She's planned a whole slew of activities.  For the Fourth of July, she and my dad took them to the beach and then got a hotel room so that they could watch the fireworks over the ocean.

She's arranged drum lessons which they just adore.  The drum teacher is even teaching them some Brazilian drumming to prepare for Recife.  They've taken the train to San Juan Capistrano.  And she found a day camp where they swim and take archery.  It's pretty amazing stuff.

This week they've headed north to my sister and brother-in-law's home where they get to play with their cousins and go to music festivals.  They're having a pretty wonderful time.

They may never want to come home.