Way back in February when Bitty was doing her best to sell as many Girl Scout cookies as she could, she was doing so partly to earn some dollars to spend on summer camps. Thank you to everyone who pitched in on the cookie fund - Bitty earned herself trips to two different camps.
One of them is coming up this weekend - that one is a Mommy and Me camp that we get to go to together. I am really excited to spend a full 24 hours giving all my attention to Bitty who needs it the most, poor little middle child that she is. I am only nervous about one thing - I haven't broken the news to Bundle yet. She is not going to be very happy about it. I know this because she was also very unhappy for the four days Bitty went to St. George and even more unhappy two weeks ago when Bitty got to go to her first ever sleep-away camp up at Camp Cloud Rim.
I think I also got to do a Girl Scout overnight camp when I was young, but I really think I was at least 10 when I went. I was excited to learn that the Girl Scout camps here had programs for gals as young as Bitty, who isn't quite 8. We signed her up with a friend for an art camp called Little Rainbows and looked forward to it all summer.
And then came the week before she left and her mother started to have inner turmoil about sending her seven year old daughter away to reside in the hands of camp counselors for three days and two nights. I don't think I have ever packed so thoroughly for anything in my life. I just had anxiety about Bitty being able to pretty much care for herself and keep track of all her stuff and supplies and....
....she was fine. Totally happy and well cared for the whole time. Did all she needed to herself. I was freaking out because she can't even really tie shoes very well but guess what, her counselor taught her how to do it. I've been trying for years without success and two days in the hands of her counselor and she's got it. I will be hiring her counselor immediately to teach my kids all the other stuff I can't get them to do, by the way.
I didn't dare send a camera with her but happily the camp has entered the modern world, has a facebook page and posts pictures of the girls there. I found myself checking the page for updates more often than was in any way reasonable, and when her pictures finally did show up I was elated to see her happy face and busy activity. I loved how Camp Cloud Rim ran their show, the enthusiasm and care of the counselors and staff. It was great. I think Bitty had a couple of sad moments, mostly occurring during her first night there. (They slept outside the second night and according to Bitty that was much less scary.) But more importantly she came home on cloud nine and didn't stop talking, singing and gesticulating for a solid 6 hours until I duct-taped her mouth and put her under her covers. Two weeks later she is still singing the songs and teaching them infectiously to many kids around her.
I can't wait for our She and Me camp this weekend.
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| Upon arriving at camp I walked Bitty and her friend K through a little tour, picked up t-shirts, posed for a pic on the deck of the gorgeous lodge and of course snagged a girl scout cookie |
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| Bitty's enthusiasm as I was getting ready to leave really cheered me up - she was hilarious, introducing herself to every staffer she could find and positively bubbled around camp. I'm sure she was making up for some anxiety but that was okay with me! |
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| For Some reason, she decided she wanted to dress up as a nerd one day and wore these glasses around non stop. |
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| Oh my little camper gal - I adore her!! |
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