3-Day Trip

Every year the grades 3-6 students at Liam's school go on a three day trip (not all together... the 3-4s  go to one place and the 5-6s go to another).  Last year there was no way that Liam was even going to entertain the idea of going unless one parent went with him.  That's how I ended up spending the day walking around the rain in a full length dress and bonnet.

And it was a good thing that I went last year as he ended up abandoning his bunk mates and coming to stay in the adult cabin with me for the second night.   But maybe that was just because the option was there, and if I hadn't been around he would have been just fine.

This year he spent Sept - Jan proclaiming that he wasn't going unless one of us came along.  And then POOF something changed and he decided that he wanted to go on his own.  BONUS!  Spending 3 days and 2 nights with 40 8-10 year olds is not my idea of a great way of using up my vacation time from work.  Of course this year there are no period costumes involved.  They don't even need sleeping bags since they are staying at a Inn!

He's all packed and ready to go.  I'm not worried about him going on the trip and being scared or lonely.  He's been on lots of sleepovers without us and he'll be surrounded by all of his best buddies.  But sending off a boy with ADHD and Executive Functioning problems has me assuming that he will not come home with even a 1/4 of the items he is taking with him.

An example of Executive Functioning issues in Liam's world  - yesterday he was in charge of moving the wet clothes from the washing machine to the dryer in order to finish the laundry.  He got that step down perfectly.  It just never occurred to him to turn the machine on.

The idea that at the end of 3 fun filled days he is going to be able to gather his 23 items, put them in his 2 bags and bring them home is kinda laughable.  All of his things are labelled with his name; we walked him through each item so that he knows which t-shirts are packed and the colour of his towel.  I've made a detailed list of all items (which is how I know there are 23) and it's pinned inside a ziplock baggie inside his knapsack.   Nothing he is taking is irreplaceable, but it's still frustrating.  We go through more splash pants and swim suits than a family of with 12 kids.

Tomorrow morning we'll attempt to feed him breakfast (don't even get me started on that one!), hand him his 2 bags and wish him off on a great trip.  I'm sure he's going to have a fabulous time and will come home full of memories.  He just won't come home with his pj's or swim suit.