- 8/23/2008 9:28:18 PMCamping at Buckhorn State ParkOver the weekend we went on a camping trip to Buckhorn State Park which is located along the Wisconsin River. What a beautiful park that is. Peggy stayed home to get rest and prepare her lesson plans for school. I took the kids and camped along with my brother and sisters and their families. We are not really a "camping" kind of family but over the years I have acquired a great deal of camping gear so that we were fairly well prepared for the rigors of staying over the weekend roughing it in the wilderness of Wisconsin.
Overall, it was a nice relaxing weekend. For the most part, my children enjoyed playing with their cousins, running around in the woods and swimming in the Wisconsin River. Michael was fairly quiet for most of the weekend. I made him hang out with the other children and play with them. If I didn't make him play with other children, he would be content to sit with the adults and just listen to their conversations. Some time during the play, he came walking back to camp followed by some of the other kids.
"Michael won't play. He just stands there and won't take his turn", one of them said.
Michael responded, "Dad. Two things. One, I don't like the game and because I don't want to run"
I don't know what they were playing. Tag, kick the can... obviously something that involved moving which is Michael's least favorite activity. Also, Michael does not like being told what to do - this includes being advised the rules of a game. If you are playing a game that involves rules and activities that he doesn't feel like participating in, he often acts like it is some kind of unfair personal attack on him. Then he will stand around and not participate. In this situation, the children were far enough away from the adults, that Michael could not put on his usual, "look at how pitiful I am" show. There was no one within visual distance who cared.
"Go back and play!", I shouted. "I don't want to hear it."
Later in the evening, the camp ground put on a candle light hike along one of their nature trails. Michael and I didn't go on it because I didn't feel like having to stay on Michael's case - telling to keep walking and stop acting like a baby. He sat at camp for two or three hours waiting for everyone else to return. Afterwords, he got the pleasure of watching all of the other kids enjoy smores and puggie pies over the campfire. That is the price you pay for not wanting to be part of the group.
Other than this incident, I don't recall there being any other significant issues on the trip. It was a nice weekend. We headed back home and on the way made a pit stop at Hardee's for some Thick Burgers. I am particularly fond of the Frisco-Burger and the Curly Fries. Michael had some kind of Bacon Cheese Burger. I think it was nearly the size of his head. I don't think he cares for french fries of any kind though.
When we arrived back home, Michael jumped out of the car and went straight to Peggy. In a cracked, choked up voice and with teary eyes he said, "momma, I missed you". "What?", Peggy asked. She had not fully understood what he had said. Michael cleared his throat and repeated himself but this time with a much more casual tone.
Hmmmmmm????
There is more to this part of the story. It involves Peggy being the object of Michael's affection and the psychological ramifications of that. He wants to control her every moment and to possess her all to himself. She represents everything he has lost and more. Michael's behavior is beginning to drain the life out of her and our family.
