This one time at band camp.....

Today started about as awesome as most of our Mondays. The kids were awake until all hours last night unable to sleep and so this morning was both chaotic and turtle-ish at the same time. I could have lit a fire cracker under my children and I don't think it would have helped. They were just in purposeless morning mode. You know the one where nothing actually gets accomplished even though they are in constant motion.

So by the time I accidentally dumped Andrew's band sheets from his music bag all over the floor I was already a little bit exasperated. That's when one of those lovely notices from the teacher finally surfaced. At the top was "Grade 7 Band Camp". The notice I've been dreading all year. You see last year when Drew was in grade 6 the class went to outdoor school for 3 days. It was a sleep away camp and Drew had never been away from home except for sleeping at his grandparents house. He did okay the first night and then when his best friend Ethan fell apart at dinner on day 2 I got a call from a sobbing Drew. It broke my heart not to drive out and rescue him but I didn't. A huge step for me too. He survived but when he got off the bus he ran and jumped into my arms in the most uncool way for a grade 6-er. He didn't care. That is when he announced that he would never sleep away from home ever again.

That was until he decided to do grade 7 band. I explained to him that all band students would be expected to attend camp. In all honesty I was trying to pursued him not to take band. You see the band teacher and I are hardly friends. I'm not sure when I crapped on her shoe but she has never been nice to me. At band meetings all the other parents rave about her. Umm....hmm. Yah, not getting that. Despite my best efforts to scare Drew away from taking band this year by using his fear of sleep away camp he still wanted to chose it as one of his options. Dammit.

Drew's flute......the bringer of evil

So there I was standing with this band camp notice in my hand and two blurry-eyed children milling about the room. I do a quick scan to see if it can wait. Crap....guess when the mandatory parents meeting for Band Camp was? Last Thursday. Awesome, now I have to reach out and grovel to this women who hates me and probably hates my kid too. Super duper.

So after I dropped Drew off in the front foyer of the school I made my way to the band room. Sure enough she was standing there. She turned and smiled as I came in. I fully expected to see the happy fall off her face....the way it has the last few run-ins...um....I mean meetings we've had. Nope, there she was still smiling. Okay, what the hell? Is the band room booby trapped? Is this an ambush?

So I carefully told her what happened and she was nice, accommodating, and helpful. We chatted about Drew and then it came.....the reason for her sweetness. She asked me to come to Band Camp to help support Drew.

Now I love my kid. I love him a lot. But is there a worse torture than having to attend someone else's band camp? I mean I never took band. And let me take a moment to thank my mother for forbidding me to join band in junior high. At the time I thought maybe she was a bit crazy but now I see the ultimate love of a parent. Such a gift. But never fear. It looks like I'm not missing out after all. So in 4 more weeks I ship out.

You win this one Band teacher.