wow, it has been almost a month since the last time I posted. Time just went so fast this last weeks.

first I had my job interview, after that I had to get ready for camp, then we had the camp and back at home I found myself with a teenager to look after.

The job interview went just fine, I stil have to send in my CV and find out some stuff with our lawyer, but normaly I will start working half time in september.

Getting ready for camp took a lot of time, I had broken my campping backpack so I had to look for another one, I also needed to get all the material ready for the 24 hours game and the activity we organized for the cubs to learn the cub's prayer. It might not seem so bad, but I had to do all that with Patrick being sick and me beginning to get sick as well.

Finally it was time to go to camp. The first day was without the cubs so we could get things ready. the day went quite fast and soon the first cubs began to arrive and our spy camp could really get started.

We had some objectives during the camp which I am happy to say we reached. We tried to get into the pack a jungle spirit, we also wanted each six to become more indepenent and over al for the kids to be more responsable for what they did.

I will not say everything was easy, we did have some problems but ended up figuring them out. the kids were not angels all the time and more than once they did got into our nerves, but after having the casino night canceled most of them learned the lesson.

The best part of it all was to see how a child can change in only one week if you put your heart to it. I was amazing to see some cubs that were really shy during the year and at the beginning of the camp suddenly become so sure of themselves. It was great to see how the gap between girls and boys faded a little bit by the end of the camp and how the difficult kids suddenly became great partners to work with.

If you want to see some of our camp pictures just go to our website to take a look at the album http://benedikto.tripod.com .

Anyway a major event also arrived at the middle of the camp. On wenesday Patrick went to pick up my little brother to the trian station (he took a flight to paris and then a train to brussels). He will be staying with us untill August the 15th.

I came to live to Belgium when he was 10, at that time he was a sweet and cheerfull little boy. now three years later he has become a teenager, and as a teenager he is not always easy to live with.

To begin with he is WAY too spoiled by my parents. He is used to have everything he wants when he wants it and it is hard for him to figure out that the lifestyle here in Belgium is not the same that in Mexico.

The first week with him was the hardest. He left a mess everywhere, took things without asking, took for granted that he could take anything he wanted from the frindge, etc..Little by little he has understood that we expect him to ask if he wants something and that we expect him to clean after himself. I was also sad to figure out how impolite he has become. Last weekend we went to the sea side (Knokke) to visit Patrick's parents and it seems Alex does not know the word thanks or please.

But well despite all the problems I am happy having him around. I think that being aournd us is helping him. He is quite surprised not to hear arguments nor fights between Patrick and me and he hears all the time between my parents. He is also getting used to the fact that we don't have a house maid and everyone helps with the cleaning. He is happy to find himself more independent than he is at home and he is beggining to change his spoled self to a polite littly guy who it is becoming easier to live with. I just hope that he will be able to take home all those good changes.

I know I will be sad when he takes his flight back home but I have figured out that it is too early for me to look after a teenager... I guess that is why they come so little and cute when they arrive to life, that way you can get used to them and grow with them and even then it most not be easy either but it sure is more natural.