I got home from camp at probably 3:00ish, and I sat down with my tablet to blog, but my big mistake was the sitting down--I promptly fell asleep! Two hours later, mom called wanting to know did I want my kitties back (YES) and did I want to grab some dinner (DOUBLE YES--so not interested in cooking right now!). So, duly fortified with my burger and fries and reunited with Dino and Sophie who have been at their grandparents' house for three weeks now, I can write about the last moments of camp with a smile. :-)
The last day felt like it FLEW by! Lessons were more compact and there was very little down time today (hardly any time at all for nine square or human foosball or pine tree forts!); we had picking up and packing to do. When I looked at my schedule at first, it seeme too tight to me--very often, Jason had allowed 15 minutes for one activity or another. Hardly anything was longer than 30 minutes, and nothing except swimming took more than an hour--which seemed like a frantic pace to me, until I was there long enough to get used to the 5th and 6th grade creature. If you tell them to, for example, clean up their appointed area (we Team One peeps were in charge of shelter one and the canteen areas), they take off at BREAKNECK SPEEDS and COMPETE for who can find more trash (measured by the handful: "I already threw away FIVE HANDS and he only got THREE hands!!"). This took a full 7 minutes. We were totally done with time to spare; so now I find myself measuring chore times in tiny increments and rushing my own self. Maybe when I sleep in tomorrow, I will have slept that out of my system. But I know now that it takes me about 13 minutes to eat lunch and clean my tray.... The French would be appalled....
We did our final prayer around the flagpole and Jesus rocks (do NOT step in or play in or pick up any of the landscaping rocks around the flag poles and cross; dire consequences) to finish up our week with a nice little finale. We prayed for the children, for the continuation of this revival of spirit, and for their return next year. I've always said that people come home from camp feeling very holy, and despite the showers and heat and bugs (and worms--I actually had to tell a kid that he coult NOT keep his worm in his Bible case, no matter how careful he is not to squish him--boys are SO GROSS), they really do experience a renewal of faith there. I hope that spirit remains in the kids and plants seeds of kindness and determination to live a Christian life, no matter what's going on in their lives. Some of those kids come from hard circumstances; bless the hearts of the family members or churches who cobble the money together to get these kids to camp.
This week has made me want to work at helping fund this camp that was so important to my own childhood and to the childhoods of the current and future campers. I know I'll be donating more than I have been to the camp scholarship funds for Elkville Christian Church, and something needs to be done to give the cabins a facelift. To be continued. I suppose I've been roped into (through my own big mouth) writing a curriculum for next year's camp theme--a timeline of the major events of the Bible--so it behooves me to stay involved with the maintaining of the camp. With a retirement of the owner and new men on the camp board, I'm looking forward to seeing changes afoot. Stay tuned!!
Are you dying to know who won the memory work contest?? I will tell you! TEAM ONE, BABY!!!! Woot, woot!!! We had these awesome twins on our team--Maddie and Cameron, and they are the most precious kids of all time. If their parents had let me, I would have brought them home. They were SERIOUS about memory work and racked up the points--and Cameron is a walking encyclopedia. It's amazing. He's like that kid in Jerry McGuire who knows how much the human head weighs. Someone asked did he know anything about Moses, and five minutes later, he had exhausted his store of info. I think he knew Moses' favorite color and sandal size. His sister earned over a thousand points with memory verses--earned in 10- and 20-point increments. These kids rock--can't wait to see what they turn out like. :-) May they always spend their summers at church camp. So with these twins and our other rock star memorizers, Team One won camp. Their winning swag included posters, Christian rock CD's, and colorful plastic bracelets with cool symbols on them. The winners were pleased and smiley--how great is your day when you can make a 5th and 6th grader pleased and smiley because they really, genuinely won the prize with their smarts and their teamwork??
So the bottom line is that camp is wonderful and everyone should go! Send your kiddies! Support your local camp! Go be a sponsor! For one week... once a year... after 360 days of recovery... and armed with flip flops!! :-) You'll be glad you did.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Gooooooood Morning, Campers!!
If you haven't had French toast sticks in a while, you should change that sad fact right away. French toast sticks are delightful! Not, of course, as delightful as gelato, but I'm roughing it right now. You make do. :-)
Today is the last day! Kids are packing up and memorizing their memory work in the last-ditch efforts to earn The Prize for most points. There will be one fabulous prize for girls, one for boys, and one for the winning team--as soon as the sponsor arrives back from Lifeway, that is. Two faculty were sent out this morning with a budget and a mission--find fabulous prizes. :-) I'd want a memory verses champ tiara. Or medal, maybe--on a ribbon I could wear around my neck and then hang in my room. But maybe I should be more inrinsically motivated? :-)
Everything is on speed mode today--we have to get in our full day's schedule by 1:00, and be packed, and count points, and do lunch. We'll find out how speedily little fingers can make friendship bracelets.... Good thing those French toast sticks have given me a burst of energy!!
Today is the last day! Kids are packing up and memorizing their memory work in the last-ditch efforts to earn The Prize for most points. There will be one fabulous prize for girls, one for boys, and one for the winning team--as soon as the sponsor arrives back from Lifeway, that is. Two faculty were sent out this morning with a budget and a mission--find fabulous prizes. :-) I'd want a memory verses champ tiara. Or medal, maybe--on a ribbon I could wear around my neck and then hang in my room. But maybe I should be more inrinsically motivated? :-)
Everything is on speed mode today--we have to get in our full day's schedule by 1:00, and be packed, and count points, and do lunch. We'll find out how speedily little fingers can make friendship bracelets.... Good thing those French toast sticks have given me a burst of energy!!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Living the Camp Life
Who knew Narnia would be the calm before the storm? It rained on our first swimming opportunity, but then the skies cleared and we sent the entire camp to the pool for the afternoon activity. Tricia and I went over to make sure no one drowned... or maybe to complete the police report if someone did drown.... But we did successfully chat about our camp experiences and returned with all the kiddies. As far as we know. ;-)
Dinner was spahgetti! It was a fine chance to make every kid's shirt a little bit orange. And a few sponsors sported orange spots, too, if truth be told *cough* Dale *cough.* It was pretty good--but the mint/Oreo/Cool Whip dessert thing was pretty great. Broke all my rules about eating Oreos in public--sometimes a cabin mom will take chocolate in whatever form she can take it....
Then a night swim! Or a bug swatting contest, depending. I think the kids were fine in the pool, but the sponsors who chose to sit on the bench under a giant light pole chose unwisely; my skin is still crawling!! The kids who were afraid the water would be cold were happily splashing and jumping and screeching, so I guess it was balmy-er than they thought. Where DOES all that energy come from??
Then pizza! Tricia and I debated and ultimately decided against pizza at 9:30 at night, and the younger faculty mocked us for our wise decision. Although they did not call our decision "wise"; I think the word used was "grandmotherly." Hmph. May they have heartburn and weird dreams tonight!!
Then campfire! The campfire area has organized itself into a proper campfire circle, rather than the simple open clearing it used to be--now it features a circle of benches around a tall teepee-shaped fire, surrounded on all sides by tall pine trees. If you look up over the fire, there is a circle in the sky framed by those pine trees, decorated with summer stars in the middle. It really creates an atmosphere perfect for the close of a camp day; rustic and picturesque and serene. Just right for calming the kiddies down for the night.
Now we're back at the cabin, and I hear the girls playing a game called "Signs," shushing each other and giggling from their bunks when they SHOULD be sleeping. It's their last night together, and they don't want to go to sleep and wake up with no more days to look forward to. I understand completely, from my own camp memories, but... they are going to have to wind it down before I lose my marbles.
So good night, mes amis, and may your dreams be as sweet as the prayers my little girls said before lights out. All the mommies and daddies and puppies and kitties of southern Illinois are going to be in fine, blessed shape tonight. :-)
Dinner was spahgetti! It was a fine chance to make every kid's shirt a little bit orange. And a few sponsors sported orange spots, too, if truth be told *cough* Dale *cough.* It was pretty good--but the mint/Oreo/Cool Whip dessert thing was pretty great. Broke all my rules about eating Oreos in public--sometimes a cabin mom will take chocolate in whatever form she can take it....
Then a night swim! Or a bug swatting contest, depending. I think the kids were fine in the pool, but the sponsors who chose to sit on the bench under a giant light pole chose unwisely; my skin is still crawling!! The kids who were afraid the water would be cold were happily splashing and jumping and screeching, so I guess it was balmy-er than they thought. Where DOES all that energy come from??
Then pizza! Tricia and I debated and ultimately decided against pizza at 9:30 at night, and the younger faculty mocked us for our wise decision. Although they did not call our decision "wise"; I think the word used was "grandmotherly." Hmph. May they have heartburn and weird dreams tonight!!
Then campfire! The campfire area has organized itself into a proper campfire circle, rather than the simple open clearing it used to be--now it features a circle of benches around a tall teepee-shaped fire, surrounded on all sides by tall pine trees. If you look up over the fire, there is a circle in the sky framed by those pine trees, decorated with summer stars in the middle. It really creates an atmosphere perfect for the close of a camp day; rustic and picturesque and serene. Just right for calming the kiddies down for the night.
Now we're back at the cabin, and I hear the girls playing a game called "Signs," shushing each other and giggling from their bunks when they SHOULD be sleeping. It's their last night together, and they don't want to go to sleep and wake up with no more days to look forward to. I understand completely, from my own camp memories, but... they are going to have to wind it down before I lose my marbles.
So good night, mes amis, and may your dreams be as sweet as the prayers my little girls said before lights out. All the mommies and daddies and puppies and kitties of southern Illinois are going to be in fine, blessed shape tonight. :-)
Lesson Time
After breakfast and missions time, the kids go to their classes--one before lunch and one after. So the thing about little kids is that their attention spans are so SO short, but their enthusiasm never flags. If you ask for a volunteer reader, a zillion hands shoot into the air--and since it is common knowledge that the highest hand wins, they will lift off their cabooses in little bounces and use the other arm to support the raised one, all the while--in case you doubted their willingness, they stage-whisper "memememememe!!!!" :-) It really is the sweetest thing.
My lesson incorporates color imagery from the Bible and friendship bracelets--a more successful lesson than I thought! I worried that the boys would balk at wearing bracelets made of faith, forgiveness, sin, etc., but they did not! One little fella did his best to talk me out of my sample bracelet, but eventually saw the value in doing it my way. :-) When he was done, he pronounced it "supereasy" and proceeded to offer his advice all around. One gross-out moment when I went to tie on a bracelet and it was soaking wet! No worries, the little girl tells me, "I was just holding it in my teeth as I braided." Oh, well, in THAT case, I won't freak out. !!! Must admit intense relief that the lesson works. Little kiddoes make me nervous!!
Now movie time! It thundered during swim time, so it's Narnia in the chapel AC. I suspect that, in the sea of sleeping bags in front of the movie screen, at least a third of them are snoozing. Poor, tuckered-out kiddies!!
My lesson incorporates color imagery from the Bible and friendship bracelets--a more successful lesson than I thought! I worried that the boys would balk at wearing bracelets made of faith, forgiveness, sin, etc., but they did not! One little fella did his best to talk me out of my sample bracelet, but eventually saw the value in doing it my way. :-) When he was done, he pronounced it "supereasy" and proceeded to offer his advice all around. One gross-out moment when I went to tie on a bracelet and it was soaking wet! No worries, the little girl tells me, "I was just holding it in my teeth as I braided." Oh, well, in THAT case, I won't freak out. !!! Must admit intense relief that the lesson works. Little kiddoes make me nervous!!
Now movie time! It thundered during swim time, so it's Narnia in the chapel AC. I suspect that, in the sea of sleeping bags in front of the movie screen, at least a third of them are snoozing. Poor, tuckered-out kiddies!!
Inauspicious Beginning
After a pretty decent sleep (which I was not expecting, having spent my night on the *top* bunk), I woke up to take my shower. Ew. You know that game you play as kid? Where the floor is lava? And you have to leap on the furniture pieces from one to another to avoid a hot, fiery death in the molten lava? I just played that game in our shower, but instead of a fate of incineration, I was avoiding a slowly revealed case of athlete's foot or those foot warts or the black mold. I will grant that the last shower I took that was not in my house was in a four-star hotel in Milan, but wow. I have roughed it this morning. May there be coffee in the dining hall....
First Day: Survival Mode
This is, Jason assures me, the best week of camp to work; it's the fifth and sixth graders, and apparently, this is the best age of kids. My reaction to this was a raised eyebrow. I prefer kids to be miniature adults, able to reason and drive and recognize sarcasm, so I am going to need further proof. Jason likes that these kids are getting more cognitively able to make decisions and appreciate the miracle of salvation, but that they also play. Like, really play. The boys are making forts under the pine trees out of pine needles (one of the girls tripped over this fort and RUINED IT, and they spent a goodly amount of time during recreation making trip wires to keep the girls out [they have been instructed to remove any booby traps]) and Wednesday has been labeled "Mandatory Wednesday." Apparently, Mandatory Wednesday has been instituted to require every little boy to take a mandatory shower, whether he wants one or not. :-) This is probably not necessary in high school week.
So today I am trying to learn the names and needs of the girls in my group and my cabin, and playing our evening team-building game really helped. Jason turned the campus into a giant board game, using the sidewalks as the squares for what was a cross between Candyland and Trivial Pursuit. It was wildly complicated, incorporating a deck of cards and a game master, but it worked and we all had a great time with it. Clearly, the kids are willing to participate in whatever the grown-ups throw at them--which is probably what the sponsors of this week like about kids this age....
Our guest speaker talked tonight about Queen Esther, and I love reading about her--she was classy and tough and moved mountains through very subtle manouevres. I like that even though God's name is not mentioned even once in her book, His hand is all over the actions and events of her life. He is in control, even when we can't see Him in action. And in Esther's book, His timing is precise like a Swiss watch. It's nice to close my night with this fresh in my mind. :-)
So today I am trying to learn the names and needs of the girls in my group and my cabin, and playing our evening team-building game really helped. Jason turned the campus into a giant board game, using the sidewalks as the squares for what was a cross between Candyland and Trivial Pursuit. It was wildly complicated, incorporating a deck of cards and a game master, but it worked and we all had a great time with it. Clearly, the kids are willing to participate in whatever the grown-ups throw at them--which is probably what the sponsors of this week like about kids this age....
Our guest speaker talked tonight about Queen Esther, and I love reading about her--she was classy and tough and moved mountains through very subtle manouevres. I like that even though God's name is not mentioned even once in her book, His hand is all over the actions and events of her life. He is in control, even when we can't see Him in action. And in Esther's book, His timing is precise like a Swiss watch. It's nice to close my night with this fresh in my mind. :-)
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Settling In
Alrighty. Found Jason (who is known as JD here to differentiate him from thr Other Jason), got my schedule, established my cabin, and located my team.
Then lunch! Burgers! Chips! Lemonade! And a cookie to finish. All the while, a dull roar from the 35796535689 kids, organized occasionally into a song: ride a broom around the room, JD! ride a broom around the room, JD! And then mail call! And Order of the Fork! Holy Toledo. My lunch this time yesterday was a lovely chicken salad and a book in blessed silence.... Variety, though is the spice of life, right? Right.
Now classes! Am watching the lesson of the lady I will replace, trying not to stare her down, as I am wont to do when I'm learning.... Fruits of the spirit lesson, complete with visual aids and totally attentive kids. It really is precious. More to come!
Then lunch! Burgers! Chips! Lemonade! And a cookie to finish. All the while, a dull roar from the 35796535689 kids, organized occasionally into a song: ride a broom around the room, JD! ride a broom around the room, JD! And then mail call! And Order of the Fork! Holy Toledo. My lunch this time yesterday was a lovely chicken salad and a book in blessed silence.... Variety, though is the spice of life, right? Right.
Now classes! Am watching the lesson of the lady I will replace, trying not to stare her down, as I am wont to do when I'm learning.... Fruits of the spirit lesson, complete with visual aids and totally attentive kids. It really is precious. More to come!
A Fine Howdeedo
Have arrived... a while ago... and cannot find Jason. Am entertaining self with blog on porch of dining hall, hoping #1, am here on right date; and #2, someone recognizable will happen along....
Am going to go peruse class shelters, trying not to look too stalkery at a kids' church camp. :-)
Am going to go peruse class shelters, trying not to look too stalkery at a kids' church camp. :-)
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Prepping for Camping Adventures!
So I enjoyed working on my Fritaly blog so much that I'm at it again. I texted Jason (the dean of the camp and my oldest friend) to see if there is wifi at camp, and hallelujah, there is!! I initially asked because my lesson--one that incorporates color imagery in the Bible and also friendship bracelets--would be made better with some youtube tutorials... but now I know there's wifi... so I can blog from my cabin.... :-) :-)
Readers who know me well know that camping is not really My Thing; so why am I going? Guilt. Guilt and peer pressure. And my friendship with Jason. Also Tricia will be there. So off I go! Packing now for the three days I'll be helping out (since I *just* got back from Europe, I was granted some time off for recovery, so while Tricia and Jason have been there since Sunday, I'll be joining them on Wednesday and I'll be replacing the mysterious Sarah, who needs to leave on Wednesday). It'll be interesting to see how the kids bond to the "new Sarah"; kind of nervous about this--high school kids are much more my scene than 5th and 6th graders. But it's good to step outside one's comfort zone, right? Right.
Am actually looking forward to getting there; camp always kind of recharges the Christian batteries. Seeing what faith looks like in the eyes of a child can invigorate even a hardened heart full of suspicion and doubt and jaded reactions to life's issues. Kids at camp are into the spirit full tilt--especially by day three, which is when I'll be getting there. Am hoping the mosquitos have had their fill of Christian activities and have headed out to other arenas, though. We'll see.
Well, then, I'm off to pack up my stuff again--living out of a suitcase is becoming a theme in summer 2014.... :-) It's FABULOUS.
Readers who know me well know that camping is not really My Thing; so why am I going? Guilt. Guilt and peer pressure. And my friendship with Jason. Also Tricia will be there. So off I go! Packing now for the three days I'll be helping out (since I *just* got back from Europe, I was granted some time off for recovery, so while Tricia and Jason have been there since Sunday, I'll be joining them on Wednesday and I'll be replacing the mysterious Sarah, who needs to leave on Wednesday). It'll be interesting to see how the kids bond to the "new Sarah"; kind of nervous about this--high school kids are much more my scene than 5th and 6th graders. But it's good to step outside one's comfort zone, right? Right.
Am actually looking forward to getting there; camp always kind of recharges the Christian batteries. Seeing what faith looks like in the eyes of a child can invigorate even a hardened heart full of suspicion and doubt and jaded reactions to life's issues. Kids at camp are into the spirit full tilt--especially by day three, which is when I'll be getting there. Am hoping the mosquitos have had their fill of Christian activities and have headed out to other arenas, though. We'll see.
Well, then, I'm off to pack up my stuff again--living out of a suitcase is becoming a theme in summer 2014.... :-) It's FABULOUS.
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