Altar Boy Camp Day 2

6:00 a.m. Wake-up call. Each team has 15 minutes to get ready. (And I bet that went really well, in stark contrast to my trying to get the children ready and through their chores at home. I note that the camp schedule is my dream of dressing and doing duties first before breakfast--a change I keep trying to make in the home to massive revolt and outright mutiny from the small troops. This camp experience encourages me to try anew.)

6:30 a.m. Morning prayers, Confession available.

7:00 a.m. Mass

8:00 a.m. Breakfast, tent clean-up, inspections (See! This is just what I've been trying and failing to do at home! Note how inspections scheduled into the routine are required in order for anything to get done . . . just like Managers of Their Homes admonishes, just like in the military. Inspect what you expect.)

9:00 Gregorian chant  (I bet our son loved this, as first preference was to chant the family rosary in English, until he learned Latin and began chanting that way! I tell him I can't keep up with him.)

10:00 Rosary 

10:30 Altar boy practice

Today Fr. N. taught the boys all about FIRE!

A boy's dream: getting to light and snuff the candles!

12:30 Lunch (I bet the boys work up a nice appetite in four-and-a-half hours without a snack and there isn't much complaining about lunch or 'not being hungry' until twenty minutes after Mama has closed the kitchen.)

1:30 p.m. Clean-up (And shall we hazard to guess that this means the boys are cleaning up and not being patronized by adults acting like restaurant staff?)

Cooling down my sweaty boy after soccer

1:30 Sports (kickball, dodge ball, soccer)

Dear Fr. N. leading catechism under a shady tree.
I've had many ladies tell me they won't dress modestly in the heat. Traditional priests where cassocks over their outfits in all weather--it is in the 90s at camp this week--and even during sports. (True for habited nuns as well.)

3:30 p.m. Catechism

The seminarian helping John choose the right size cassock and surplice

4:00 p.m. Altar boy practice

5:00 p.m. Time with the visiting seminarian

6:00 p.m. Dinner

7:00 p.m. Clean-up

7:15 p.m. Dodge ball

8:15 p.m. Campfire, s'mores . . . and spear-fishing slideshow from the priest who grew up in the Caribbean Islands in a family of spear fishermen! I bet that presentation held the boys' attention.

Night prayers led by the priest

10:00 p.m. Lights out (but the boys ran way late last night . . .)

Now, I only wish my son had five minutes to call home and say 'hello' to his old mother holding down the fort at home--one of the parents making this trip possible for him--but his time is too occupied and he's having too grand of a time for that.