helmets and regret

Today went fast. Tomorrow is our Year 3/4 camp, so we spent the day sewing camp head-bands & answering six million questions about: the food, the cabins, free-time activities, when is a good time to read books at camp (my kids are such nerds :) ), lollies and... "when you said that we aren't allowed to bring DSes (plural of nintendo DS) to camp, can we bring them for the bus ride there and then put them away when we get there?" um...no.

Both of my favourite stories of the day relate to one of my little boys with Asperger's. He is a tad anxious about camp. This morning he handed me 5 envelopes, each labelled "About Camp" and included the following messages:

Miss F, I think camp is dangerous. from C
Miss F, The quad bikes are dangerous. From C
Miss F, Camp is very dangerous and I am worried about camp. From C
Miss F, Please help me! From C
Miss F, I think I might be able to go to camp. From C

Too cute! We looked at the pictures of camp again & talked about all the safety features of the high ropes and quad bikes.

As he was leaving class this afternoon he was still anxious about tomorrow & asked for my phone number. Thinking his mum might want to chat to me tonight I gave him my numbers which I don't normally do. By the time I got to the staffroom after school I had already missed 2 calls from him.

I called him back & our conversation went something like this...
C: I have decided that I am not going to come to camp.
Me: Why's that? It's going to be so fun! You don't want to miss out...
C: Well the high-ropes is very dangerous, I might bump my head on a pole or a tree or I could crash onto the ground.
Me: Remember when we looked at the pictures of the high ropes? You have to wear a helmet and you'll have a special harness so you won't fall! It's very safe!
C: Well the quad bikes might flip over...it's very dangerous
Me: You are good at riding a motor bike! A quad bike is just like that, but has 4 wheels so it's even safer! And you wear a helmet...

His mum interrupted, took the phone & told me that he would definitely be coming to camp, he is actually very confident with heights & rides a motor bike often.  She's convinced that he is going to be fine.

He took the phone back...
C: Well I'm just getting ready for my afternoon nap, I usually have a nap in the afternoon...
His mum (in the background): You do not! Stop making up stories! Say goodbye to Miss F!
C: Oh I need to go now. bye.

I'm sure I'll have some great stories from camp! My kids are so fun!

After school I had lovely afternoon tea with 2 amazing friends. I love catch ups and also iced chocolates.

My day changed at 6pm. Just as I was leaving my house to go to band practice, my neighbour R, who I haven't seen in at least 6 months, popped in. He had just been to my other neighbour's house (they are technically on either side of my house, but their properties meet behind mine). This visit was VERY out of character because they have been enemies since 1968. Well... he had gone to visit to pay his condolences. Blue died today. Lovely old Blue who mows my lawns, cuts down my dead trees & brings in my garbage bins is dead. R told me that he had been climbing a ladder down near his chook pen and fell... to his death.

I don't know how I feel. Mostly I am regretting not spending more time with them, Blue & his wife. There's always something else to do. The last time I saw him was last Saturday as I was hanging out my washing, he was walking through his yard. He didn't notice me. I should've called out & said hi & taken a moment to chat about how things were on their side of the fence (and listened as he told me what I should do to neaten up my back yard as he usually would). But I didn't. I just hung out my clothes and went back into my house.

I wonder if you ever feel like you've done enough when someone dies.