I Planned; God Laughed

So. All of you know what an excellent, outstanding organizer I am. And you all know I have four kids. Therefore, planning a trip overseas with different people leaving and arriving and staying in different places at different times shouldn't be a problem. Right?

(Oh, I kid... I'm good, yes - but this took a lot of juggling).

Basically, I arranged our sojourn to the United States around the idea of sending the older boys to summer camp (sleep-away camp). They had gone last year (while T & I were expatriating), and L.O.V.E.D(!) it. A little scheduling magic, and TA-DA, we can do it.

Except for one little snag...

Apparently it's been raining in Colorado. A lot. Way more than usual. Enough to cause flooding. (You see where this is heading, don't you?)

Their beloved camp was flooded in the days prior to our arrival. It caused mold to occur in the kitchen (unheard of in Colorado's usually dry climate), and caused the health department to close the camp.*

With some emergency phone calls, we found a camp that would take them. Except this camp had already started, and would have to absorb them mid-stream. They said it would be okay, as long as the boys stayed for the following session...

Whoops. If they stayed for the following session, they would miss the opportunity to see their cousin & great aunt. That doesn't work. So, oops again. Can't go there. How about a nice YMCA day camp?

While that did work out, I found myself preparing lunches and thinking to myself... so when does my vacation start?

After a few more back-and-forths, it was decided that while J would stay at G-ma & G-pa's house next week, and attend a few days of (day-)camp, R would go ahead to the alternate overnight camp. He is the one who was profoundly disappointed; and he is the one who makes friends easily. So, he goes.

This morning, my mom brought A, E & me to the airport to fly to Houston for nine days; and my dad brought R to his camp. When I checked in with my folks later in the day, they informed me that R's camp doesn't start until tomorrow, actually. Ah, well.

*We didn't find this out until after the two-hour drive to camp. The boys did however, get to say hello to their counselors, so I guess the trip was worth it.