happy, exhausted

Sam returned last night from his first trip "away" without parental/family supervision. All of the grade 4s at TIS went camping - they left EARLY monday morning, and returned wednesday evening. They sort of staggered off the bus - filthy, exhausted, odiferous, sunburned and really really really happy.

Sam had no voice left at all (although that didn't stop him from sampling all of the new campfire songs he learned as we drove home) - from telling stories, singing and telling jokes around the campfire. He told the "Desert Island/Surprise" joke - I'm not sure how I feel about this. It is a great joke - but appropriate? Oh well. I guess that is what his teacher means by "I can't wait to hear what Sam will say next..."

He was just a happy, happy boy. The hardest part, he said, was going UP the tower for rappelling. As many of you may know, Sam's relationship with heights is not a friendly one. Staircases can be an issue... Well, no more. He has informed us that after rappelling, he is no longer afraid of heights. He has conquered his fear, and he is proud. And so am I. What a boy!

They slept out in tents, woke up at 5 am, cooked and cleaned up, went canoeing... Then returned home and crashed. Out like a light. Not a peep. We should arrange to do this more often.