oceans and blow guns.

Our week of camping went pretty smooth.  We of course had a few minor bumps, but nothing major.  C- wanted to be friends with a kid in the camp site next to us, but with all the parallel play that goes on with him, we had to cut the friendship short on the first day.  The "neighbor" kid was the definition of the kid off Toy Story that burned it's toys in the backyard and blew them up with firecrackers.  He had a blow gun and tried to shoot pine needles and cones at Ry and told stories of falling in the firepit at various times and putting fire crackers in fires and watching them go "BOOOM!!".  Then he proceeded to tell C that he could break his wrist in one move.  All I could think was, " really kid. Keep talking and his literal sense will show you how to do it... If he doesn't I might". Oh, did I mention that the GRANDPA of this kid walked around smoking a joint every 30-45 minutes?  I thought C was going to crap his pants with horror that someone would actually do that in front of kids and especially a baby (the blow dart kid had a tiny sister around 1 yr-18 months old).  He was very upset, I thank Young Marines for that drug awareness class. 
     So for conversation sake we will call this kid BDK (blow dart kid).  So, since we told the boys they weren't allowed to play with BDK they moved on to the other boys with bikes.  Every time they would ride around the camp loop they would have a new kid riding along side.  So BDK would come over to our camp and tell us how we are "suppose" to do things.  He would throw things in our fire and the mom and grandma would look over and let it happen.   When I was cooking dinner that consisted of ribs, potato salad, and baked beans, the kid says "you guys are lucky.. I think we're having ramen noodles.  They are cooking right now".  My MIL (mother in law) looked at him and said with a straight face " then maybe you should go over there and see".  I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.  He kept trying to invite himself to eat with us. I'm not a babysitter, I'm not a nanny.  I have my own kids, and right now I'm busy NOT watching them while they act like boys on their bikes somewhere... over ... there (think scarecrow scene from Wizard of Oz).  Thankfully with C's sense of rules I was able to let them ride their bikes around the "C" loop of the campgound until their feet wanted to fall off.
     The boys went fishing a few times and C caught a tiny fish and Ry caught some seaweed and a crab, which we ate for dinner. lol.

 My MIL wanted to go clamming so we got up early on Saturday and went on a quest for clams during minus tide.  We didn't have any rubber boots, so the walk out was disgusting and gave me a mild anxiety attack since we were in the bay.  But once we got out there it was just sand.  I wish I could have gotten pictures, Ry cried almost the whole time and C would find the ones that spit and would start digging for them.  It was pretty cool.  I would walk along with my dowel stick and find them and Danny and my MIL would dig them out.  We walked away with 3/4 of a bucket full of clams of different sorts. Some really big ones and some butter clams I think they were called.  Ry sliced his foot open on a broken shell, C- fell and scrapped his leg and elbow and also caught "big " air and ate crap on his bike.
     A few minor meltdown and some marshmallows and we were set.  It was fun, but I'm glad to be home.  I'm hesitant about how the day will go.  So far so good.  But there's always that adjustment period where C goes into fight of flight mode for a few days and his sensory issues rear their ugly head.  I did read on another blog "Inner Aspie" ( http://inneraspie.blogspot.com/ )that sometimes a strong touch will help calm the nerves.  He was laying down for a nap because his eyes were super darty and he was starting to go into panic mode from being too overstimulated with how the day was going.  I put my hand on his arm lightly and he kept moving away.  So what I had read popped into my head and I placed my hand very firmly on his harm and I felt his whole body relax and he whispered "thank you mom" and fell asleep almost instantly.
     Hopefully we make it through this week unscathed.

-Nikki