Petting Zoo

So, our camp has a new thing this year,
a petting zoo.

We have 3 cages and a rabbit hutch.
One cage holds 4 guinea pigs and
a rabbit. The rabbit used to live
with the other rabbit in the hutch,
but one day the kids were yelling,
"Look, the rabbits are giving each other
piggy back rides. Yay!! Piggy back rides."

Did I mention that our rabbits are MALE?
Yes, we seem to have gay rabbits.

Another cage holds 3 baby rabbits.
No, they are not offspring of the
gay rabbits.

The third cage holds 3 ducks and 4 chickens.
The chickens are nasty to each other.
One is missing quite a few feathers.
Well, my kids named them today.
They are:
Pecker (yup, Pecker)
Plucker (hence Pecker's missing feathers)
The Enforcer (she seems to instigate the fights)
Big Mama (she's the big black chicken no one messes with)

Tomorrow is payday.
We requested to be paid in cash so after work
we can all go to the petting zoo and
place bets on Big Mama and maybe
later, catch a show at the hutch.

Ahhh, I love camp.

Update To Last Post

I HATE SUMMER.

It was 104 degrees today
on my way HOME from work
at 4:30.

Yeah, I'm hating summer.

I'm Not Hating Summer....

I am a cold weather girl.
Love the cold.
Love sleeping with windows open in winter.
Love sweater weather.
Love scarves.

HATE THE HEAT.

I think my family is just hot blooded.
My step-mother says we are just
hot people, that our bodies actually
throw off enough heat to make her hot.

Ok, all that being said,
I am not hating summer this year.

First of all I am TAN.
VERY TAN.
Yup, the day after I went to the dermatologist
for a little look-see, I set myself out on the
deck and roasted to a very lovely dark brown.
I think the Italian/Spanish blood is really
working to my advantage this summer.

Secondly, I have decided to
NOT SPEND HOURS ON MY HAIR EACH DAY.
That is a biggie.
I used to wash, then diffuse it for literally,
over an hour each day, then worry about it
frizzing or just looking crazy as curls can do.
This summer, I shower, gel and go, using my
sunglasses as a headband. This way, if someone
pours a cup of ice cold water over my head when
I least expect it, (which happens quite often
when you work at a summer camp)
I can just run my fingers through it and go.
And since I'm all tan and stuff, it looks
like I just got back from the beach.
It works.

Third - NO MAKE-UP.
This decision works well with the tan -
wet hair look.

I used to get up at 5:30 to get ready each
morning - to guarantee a 7:30 departure.
Yes, it used to take me 2 hours to get ready
each day.
Now I don't jump in the shower until 7am.
However, I still get up at 5:30 because I'm
getting older and that's what time my mind
starts working.
Go figure.

He's The One

So each summer I have roughly
28 - 30 kids in my group.

Each summer 99% of them are great.

Each summer there is that 1 kid who,
well, that kid is THE ONE.

This year "T" is THE ONE.

He's 8.
He loves Taylor Swift.
How do I know?
He wears a Taylor Swift t-shirt every day.
He's been wearing the same Taylor
Swift t-shirt since he saw her in concert
on May 18.

He's very concerned about his hair.
How do I know?
He carries a brush and mirror around
with him all day and not little pocket sized items.
He's carrying a 5 x 7 mirror and a big round brush.
We're walking lunch, T stops to wet his hair at the
water fountain, and looks in his mirror, fixes his hair.
We're sitting on the bleachers getting ready to
go to an activity, T is there gazing in his mirror,
parting his hair, patting it down.
At dismissal, I'm walking the kids to their
buses, T asks if he can get a drink.
I'm waiting, looking out the window, thinking
we're going to be late. I glance back at T
and he has his head in the water fountain.
I know where this is going.
"T!! Let's go! Enough with the hair!!"

Oh, and apparently he has an aversion
to straight lines because he
WILL NOT stand in one - ever!
He's always milling around and when you have
28 kids to keep an eye on, a "miller" is not
a good thing.
A miller with a mirror and big round brush
looking for a water fountain is certainly
not a good thing.

Yup.
He's the one.

Summer Camp

Hi!
I'm here!
How have you been?
Me, I'm much better, thanks.
Ok, enough of that, let's dive
right into summer.

I work at a summer camp.

Yeah, for those of you who know me,
read that sentence again.

Yes, I run around all summer
WITHOUT MAKE-UP, sweating, acting
like a 10 year old kid and
I LOVE IT!

This is my 5th year at this camp
and it's gone through some big changes
which have caused me headaches and lots of
grey hair, but today was a great day.

Today was our first day.

Today the KIDS WERE THERE!

The kids make all the bureaucratic bullshit
that happens during the planning stages
worth it.
I have 27 8 and 9 year olds. Boys and girls.
I love them, and I think they love me.
Yes, I admit, handing out Starbursts helps.
So, each year at this time I blog about
the funny, crazy, insane things that happen
at camp.
Here is the first:

IT TOOK ME UNTIL 2:30 THIS AFTERNOON
TO FIGURE OUT THAT ONE OF MY KIDS
DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.

Yup.
I spent roughly 5 1/2 hours with this kid
and had no idea he only speaks Korean.
Now, don't go thinking I didn't even
talk to the kid. I had conversations with him.

.....or at least I thought I did.

I called his house last week to introduce
myself and no one mentioned that he
only speaks Korean.

HOW DO YOU FORGET THAT?????!!!!!

So this little guy paid attention and nodded
at the appropriate times when I spoke to him
alone or with a group.
Finally during snack time, I was sitting with
some of my boys and THEY told me.
They knew, but I didn't!

WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT??

Believe it or not, I have another boy
in my group who speaks Korean.
He said he will translate for me.
Come on.
What are the odds???

I'm off to by a lottery ticket!

More About The Hair

You know you got a bad haircut when
you receive comments like these:

"Hey - you got a hair cut"

"Wow."

"Oh!"

(blank stare)

"New look, huh?"

"What did you do?"



Yeah, this haircut is pretty bad.

Dear John

Dear John (creepy little man who cuts my hair),
WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING??
Seriously, dude - what is up with the chop??
You cut more than half my hair off yesterday!
Creepy John, I do NOT look good with short hair.
We have discussed this!
Were you on drugs?
Were you mad at me?
Was this just some cruel joke?
If so - YOU WIN my friend, you win.
Well, on the plus side -
I WON'T NEED A HAIRCUT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR!
Jerk.
Love,
Baldy McKibbins

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How could they??!!

Bea

This post is for Bea.
She's a baseball mom.
She has two great kids and a funny husband.
She told me she reads my blog each morning,
and why haven't I posted anything recently???

Good question!

I'll get on it!

But for now.....

HI BEA!!!!!!!!!

Random Shots from the iPhone

Do you know what's on your camera phone?
I just snap away and forget about it.
Snap it and forget it!
Well, here's what I found:
Opening of new Apple Store.
Yes, we were there at 9am, waiting on line.
The employees line the entrance and cheer as you enter.
Please notice the guy lying on the ground.

I told Dylan I'd give him $10 if he ran in the door
pumping his arms.
He did.
I paid.

Discovering they sell tongue at the grocery store.
Yes, this is what I do, people.
I encourage this stuff.

Dylan ripping a phone book in half.

And, since he found out he could actually do this,
we haven't had an intact phone book in this house.

Dylan - the human sling shot.

I found this to be interesting.
My grocery store decided they needed an entire
refrigerator for Corona.

Party at Stop N Shop!

Hmmpphhhhffffff!

Just change Alexander to Kerry and we're all set.

Ahhhh.....Spring

Ahhhhh Spring.
The weather is nice and warm in NY.
Driving home, I noticed that all the
trees were in bloom.....
They were all coming out.....
All the trees.....
and all my old boyfriends.