Face paint - sort of

Any paint on his face is purely an accident. I can't publish it here, but let me assure you, Joshua made sure that he was fully covered in paint.

letter to Sam

Dear Simcha,

Samantha, joyous garden, lovely daughter, all the things I could use to address you. You are so many wonderful things. I cleaned the rest of your clothes and put them in your closet. I am trying to make headway in Joshua’s messy room, and hope to get to your room to sort your books (again) and make your bed. I put a different blanket on it that might be more comfortable for you.

I hope you are well and enjoying yourself. Reading enough? If you still have battery charge left, and time, you can buy a couple of books for the kindle. You might not have enough signal there to download, though. I bet you come back a great rider and an even better swimmer. I expect details! No bug bites, I hope?

Abbie was sorry she missed seeing you. She had some great horse stories I am sure she would love sharing with you. She said she would write to you and tell you about a series about unicorns that she loves. She was here for a very short time, so I hope she gets to stay with us longer when she comes back from Australia. Abbie is studying the ocean, so she plans to learn how to dive. Very exciting stuff!

Ella and Tucker are well, doing their usual messes. Joshua is the same. He made some Mr. Potato heads, took their picture and we labelled them for you. I don’t know why you got one, or me. I tried not to read to much into it. I thought they were hilarious and wanted to share them with you. The flashlights for fingers are just silly stuff I thought you’d like to share with your bunkmates. If you need anything, I am sure Georgia or Katie would help you get it.

I don’t want to make you homesick, but please know that I think of you every night when I go to bed. I hug you and sing down in the valley in my mind, and then I can go to sleep. When I wake up, I listen for the tv noises, or just expect my daily hug. So I give you one in my head. Can you tell? Moms can send hugs very far! The special mom talents come with our babies when they are born. :-)

I hope you are sleeping well, no insomnia.

Dad is slowly getting better. He has almost stopped coughing, and can move around much better. Don’t worry about him. He is very strong. He is exercising every day either at home or at the gym and I think may come out of his flu feeling better than ever.

Grammy and Aunt Patty and I know Aunt Leslie send their love as well. Tzade is very proud of you and I know he is bragging to his doctors about his smart whippersnapper of a grandaughter. Can you hear him bragging?

I wonder if you can light the candles there for shabbos? If you want to do that, you could ask Georgia about it. you can use birthday candles. You certainly don’t have to celebrate shabbat, but I thought you might enjoy doing it with your friends.
I love you. Mom

Roads End Farm

We dropped Sam off at camp today. I don't know how mom ever let me go away to girl scout camp. I keep feeling like part of me is missing, and then I realize, yes, of course, Sam is at camp. I ache for her. I wonder what her bed is like, did she find everything that I packed for her? Will her cabin mates be nice to her and realize she means well? They seem like a sweet group of girls. Some of the girls are from New Zealand, France and somewhere else. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to send my daughter to a place that uses outhouses during the day. They are expected to swim to stay clean, and can shower twice a week. Woo hoo! She'll be fine, she'll be fine She'll be fine. She'll be fine? If Grammy grew up in Chesterfield, NH, then maybe Gram's spirit will be able to stay with her and help her be strong? All right, now I really have gone off the deep end.

The farm is lovely. The horses are clearly loved and cared for. We went out into the field, all of us. There were 60 horses in the field, and Joshua, Sam and I are in the middle of them. It was a life changing moment. Joshua was completely unafraid. I just felt amazed, awed, by these incredible beings. Matt took some pretty photos I will ask him to post later.

Joshua says he is thrilled to be rid of his sister, because she is rude to him, and he is glad he won't have anyone punching him in the stomach. Oh really? I think he already misses her. She is the rock to his world. Or maybe that is me, I don't know. I imagine he will show up in my bed to sleep again soon.