Can I admit something shameful?

I think I'm a wee bit jealous of my kids. They are getting to go to all these cool summer camps and I want to escape too. Each of my older kids are getting to go to 3 really excellent summer camps. Joey just finished BMX Bike Camp and has soccer and Agape camp coming up. Marty is wrapping up Cary Space Camp and had his Civil War Experience and a camp at Kure Beach coming up.

I have decided the two sleep away camps I want to go to are BlogHer and the Heartland Needleworks Retreat. I'm even willing to be reasonable and wait for Heartland's Fall Retreat and BlogHer 2010 since BlogHer '09 is sold out. Even fantasizing about going to these "camps" is pretty damned wonderful. Between these two getaways, I would get to indulge two of my passions...blogging and stitching. It would be sheer bliss to be able to indulge in meeting friends and letting my creativity run rampant witout worrying about when I need to stop and fix dinner. Don't get me wrong, I love my family dearly. I wouldn't *trade any of them or any of the time we have with each other. But, everyone needs to recharge.

Sadly, those events are simply outside of our budget for the time being. So, all I need is a fairy godmother to make it all happen. Oh yeah, Ms. Fairy Godmother, if you are feeling particularly generous, I wouldn't mind the quilting retreats in Florida and Costa Rica too.


*although there are days I understand my parents threat to trade us for 2 goldfish and a canary