Hanging out at the closing ceremony with new friends.
The bunk JM slept on.
This little guy is showing us how he fell out the back of the wagon out the other side of his bed. Ouch!
Snow cones for fifty cents. Nice!We picked up JM from camp and it was a very fun experience for him. We had him all ready for sleeping in complete darkness. We just weren't prepared for his very first night to have lightning and thunderstorms. Quite a few young campers didn't like that. JM didn't either, but we didn't get called to take him home!
He made some great new friends, loved his camp counselors, and really wants to come back next summer. I can't ask for a better experience.
My wish to change one thing. Keep in mind, I grew up (even with my super bad first experience camping) going to summer camp. I went through the ranks, and eventually was a counselor until late in high school. I had the young campers, the six and seven year olds. They were a little bit of a handful because this camp experience was scary to some of them, keeping track of things their mom usually keeps track of is hard, and just being away from home. I remember making huge efforts with other counselors to make sure kids had their stuff, it was packed nicely, sleeping bags were rolled, toiletries were in baggies, wet bathing suits were in baggies, etc. We, as counselors, spent usually a few hours helping campers get that together to go home.
When I unpacked JM's stuff. Oh my! Several problems. When I went to claim his stuff. His sleeping bag was laid out on the floor next to his pillow with no duffle bag. I found that about half full, looked some more and found his sleeping bag bag full of more stuff. Took it all home. First, wash cloth is gone and the towel I sent is not the towel that came back. One thing. He had an accident while at camp. I am sure he realized he needed to go when he was 300 yards away from a bathroom instead of the normal 20 feet, at home. Those clothes were packed in with everything else, along with his wet bathing suit. Even the letters myself and other family members sent him were soaked, and it wasn't just water. I just stood over the washer and dropped it all in, duffle bags and all. It was disgusting. When I was a camp counselor, we would have tried to wash those clothes, and at the very least, put those clothes in a baggie for this very reason. That was my only disappointment in the whole experience, and my washer handled most of it.
As we were leaving and piling things into the car to head home, I saw these bumper stickers on a minivan.
He made some great new friends, loved his camp counselors, and really wants to come back next summer. I can't ask for a better experience.
My wish to change one thing. Keep in mind, I grew up (even with my super bad first experience camping) going to summer camp. I went through the ranks, and eventually was a counselor until late in high school. I had the young campers, the six and seven year olds. They were a little bit of a handful because this camp experience was scary to some of them, keeping track of things their mom usually keeps track of is hard, and just being away from home. I remember making huge efforts with other counselors to make sure kids had their stuff, it was packed nicely, sleeping bags were rolled, toiletries were in baggies, wet bathing suits were in baggies, etc. We, as counselors, spent usually a few hours helping campers get that together to go home.
When I unpacked JM's stuff. Oh my! Several problems. When I went to claim his stuff. His sleeping bag was laid out on the floor next to his pillow with no duffle bag. I found that about half full, looked some more and found his sleeping bag bag full of more stuff. Took it all home. First, wash cloth is gone and the towel I sent is not the towel that came back. One thing. He had an accident while at camp. I am sure he realized he needed to go when he was 300 yards away from a bathroom instead of the normal 20 feet, at home. Those clothes were packed in with everything else, along with his wet bathing suit. Even the letters myself and other family members sent him were soaked, and it wasn't just water. I just stood over the washer and dropped it all in, duffle bags and all. It was disgusting. When I was a camp counselor, we would have tried to wash those clothes, and at the very least, put those clothes in a baggie for this very reason. That was my only disappointment in the whole experience, and my washer handled most of it.
As we were leaving and piling things into the car to head home, I saw these bumper stickers on a minivan.
You might need to click on this one to make it bigger. I was reading these and got the impression we have another disenchanted veteran who probably has an anti war sticker somewhere as well. I haven't seen these stickers before and this guy is proud of his service, and still suffering.
Then I looked to the right. This one says it all. Yes, he served, yes he is in pain, and yes, he would do it again. Don't poo poo on the flag he suffered for and was willing to die for.I thought that would be a great note to close with. We are heading out of town for the holiday weekend, and I am personally quite excited to celebrate this wonderful country.
The freedom we have as Americans has been bought and paid for at a very high price, the blood of our young men and women. In this case, the sweat and tears of this man. I will think of this person for awhile. I am thankful for his service, and I wish I could have met him to thank him.
Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
Have a wonderful Fourth of July!
1 comment:
I'm so glad that JM had a great time at camp. sorry to hear about the laundry issues. I honestly can't remember what lengths I went to to help my kids pack their stuff on the last day of camp when I was a counselor.
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