Camping Prigg Style

So, we just returned from our yearly camping trip. Every Memorial Day weekend we pack up all the things and the kids and the dog and go to Eastern Washington to get our CAMP on. We love it, well…I have many thoughts on camping, and love is just one of them.

Oh, let me make some things real clear before I can even go on. We don’t really camp, we GLAMP. Please don’t judge, because it is necessary for two reasons. Numero uno, being that I am a very southern girl and I don’t, as a rule, camp…It’s just that, getting dirty ( and I mean disgustingly dirty) feet and bugs and heat and sweat…just. NO.
Numero dose…Noah Luke. kind of, enough said if you know him. He needs his movies, and this is not a joke. It is an absolute must, do you hear me? Autism needs those movies really, because if it were up to me,and i thought Noah would be fine, I’d throw those dang movies off the narrows bridge and then have a full-on party to celebrate there demise, that’s how many times we’ve all seen those movies over the years. Watching the same Mickey Mouse movies 50,000 times makes you feel crazy. Unless you have autism and then I can imagine, it makes you feel safe.

So glamping is camping, only with a camper trailer instead of a tent. Its like camping in a small single wide. Its the best I can do, not because I’m too above a tent..I just would rather do anything else in the world than camp without electricity, that’s just the truth.

So now that you all know how it really goes down in our camping world…Let me tell you, its still real hard and it’s still really dirty. It is also lots of fun… Making memories with the kids, and our friends that are more like family is priceless. Even if it sucks to prepare all the food, pack and then unpack when you get home.

Every year I get very worked up, because of several things. I am not laid back, I can admit this now (for years, I really thought I was laid back, so weird to me now) I am, who I am, high strung, high energy, and high emotion…whatever, I’m also freaking fun! So you can imagine how I freak out every year at the possibility of all manner of things going wrong. I try to run “what if”s” in my head and make myself crazier, I try to over prepare for just in cases…weighing our camper down by probably 20 useless pounds. Then as always, I give up and say, ” you know what, nobody’s gonna die! No people on my watch have died! and we can do anything for five days.”

To be honest, we usually have a mixture of good, awesome, and bad. Noah can get very anxious at times and makes lots of noises. He is non verbal, yes, but that doesn’t mean he’s not loud. It just means that no one understands what he’s trying to say, and I start to get anxious because I want Noah to feel relaxed and happy. I want Josh to have the best time ever because his friends and camping mean everything to him. I also want our friends and camping neighbors to not have their trip ruined by my verbally stemming kid. Things just don’t always go as planned (gosh, in my life, like never) So often times Jeremy and I will have many moments of tension just because we don’t know what to do. Jeremy(the hubs), bless his soul, is much more laid back and relaxed about camping and Noah than me…thank you Jesus. He does his best to help me realize that everything is okay…actually better than okay. Noah is who he is and that is OKAY.

So, This trip was different for me. There wasn’t one time when I got stressed out (and I’m a truth teller, so I would tell you) and Jeremy and I had no tense moments, nada. Noah did get loud, and anxious at times, but not much. I am so, from the bottom of my heart grateful. I realized something about myself in Sun Lakes this year. That much of my frustration can come from feeling like Noah and I are missing out on fun. You see, my love language is quality time. If I love you, I want to BE with you. and to know that so many of our close friends were out and about in the sunshine or sitting just out by the camp fire, but I was stuck inside with Noah, doing what I always do….feed, change diapers, change movies….repeat. It used to make me feel, angry, sad, self pity,and isolated… all those things.

I feel like the Lord changed my heart this year…I hope it sticks because it was wonderful not to feel those feelings this time. Instead, I felt needy for alone time with each of my boys. I felt thankful for any opportunity to try something new…I sat next to Noah on our little couch in the camper and read a book while he watch his movies, and felt content, in stead of angst…WOW, what a wonderful miracle. He felt it too because he was happy that I was choosing to stay by his side and take him to do all the things, even if he didn’t like it. whatever, we would just leave and come back to the camper. At least he tried! I’m so proud of he and I… as we continue to grow together, not perfect by any means, but we keep giving each other grace. That to me, is the most important thing…love each other, give as much grace as you can…KEEP TRYING.

I’m actually looking forward to being brave all summer…Doing things that might give our family lasting memories. Enjoying each of my family members for who they are individually…I will also give my self grace…I need it the most I think.

Be Brave sweet Momma’s out there…If you have a bad day, get up and try again tomorrow. Try something new. Try something again, but with a changed heart. Look at your life and say…wow, I am so grateful!

Love,

Rhonda

Summer is Coming and I’m Kinda Scared

Okay ya’ll. It is almost summer, and I always start to get nervous. I’m not sure if it is just that summer’s have been really hard for me in the past or if it’s all the parenting that is required during that time. Either way, I can literally feel myself wanting to freak out. However, this Summer I really want to NOT do that. And listen, I know their are many of you Mom’s out there who are soooo looking forward to summer vacation, and you are good at being a summer Momma, and I am literally standing and applauding you right now. Because I WISH that was me….but it’s so NOT. I wanted my children so very much..these babies were prayed for, longed for and we were ready for them! So many would say my freak outs don’t make much sense. Well, it makes sense to me, because I know why I do it…I just wish that I wouldn’t. My trepidation comes from times where I was working too much and my son Noah wasn’t sleeping hardly at all (he has a sleep disorder and literally barely slept for the first three years) and things got crazy you know….. Summer can be hard for lots of reasons. Many Mom’s feel guilty because they have to work a lot. Many feel stressed because they don’t have the money for the kind of summer their kids desire, or that they desire for their kids. Some might just feel that there is so, so much parenting required that it seems to make them feel crazy by September. I’m the mom that usually feels crazy, run down, and completely empty by Summer’s end. I wish I was stronger and able to be content no matter what the circumstances. I am writing today because I know their are other Mommas that feel this same way, so let’s work some stuff out together, wanna?? Okay, so the first thing, is to try and get organized.(I know, for some of us that is like saying, be totally somebody else completely) So let me be specific. I mean, think about camps, VBS (vacation Bible school), babysitters, vacations, grandparent visits, playdates….whatever works for you and your family. You don’t have to change anything major..Just do whatever you can handle. Basically I’m saying get some stuff on the calendar for everyone to look forward to. It REALLY helps. Then, maybe make a couple of goals. One of mine last year was to have Joshua riding his bike without training wheels by summer’s end. That gave us something as a go to when he was bored. It doesn’t matter the goal, it’s the point of having something to bring parents and kids tougher as a team. Then hopefully having something to celebrate after the goal is achieved. Now, I have many friends that are in my same boat and that said boat, looks very different than many families……It’s the special needs family boat. This makes summer so much more challenging. This boat WILL have rough waters to go through, and that’s a guarantee. All of us who are in this boat know that Summer is never all smooth sailing…like ever. Having a son with autism, that is non verbal and also physically challenged (fine and gross motor skills) makes summer real, real looong at times. He loves his routine and the summer throws him for a loop, man. He gets bored and over it about three days into summer vacation….Not kidding…..and that means Momma gets over it not too long after him. Oh man its tough, but this year, I want things to be different. I am thinking of camps (for Josh) and thinking of goals for Noah. I am determined to NOT put the pressure on myself to be everything for everyone. The children can be bored, that’s okay. Noah can whine to go for rides fifty times a day, and that’s okay. I will carve out some time to rest..and make it a priority to just watch my kids, Gosh they are growing up fast. I think my point is that, this life is hard…and Summer can be awesome and terrible depending on the moment….But I, as the Mom and Captain of the Prigg summer ship, have a choice. I can be miserable or I can be content. I choose to be content. Knowing this life I have is crazy, messy, and painfully beautiful. I know I will be talking myself off the preverbal ledge every now and again, and most likely some of my friends too, but girls, we always have a choice. I choose to love summer, to love my kids, to love my life…There is so much to be grateful for. What do you choose? BUT….Summer hasn’t started yet……