Final Week

So, today begins my final week of camp.
It flew by, can't believe it.
Now, for those of you who know me
I know you're still thinking....
"How the hell can Kerry be working at
a day camp all summer???"
I know.
I hate heat.
I hate the outdoors.
I hate not wearing make-up.
I could go on.......
But I just love this place and this job.
Go figure.

Last Thursday was my favorite day.
We had the Senior Sleep Over.
All of senior camp (ages 8-12) are
invited to stay until 8pm for games,
swimming, dinner, and a slide show.
Then the 8-10 year olds go home and the
rest are invited to sleep over.
Yeah, so are the counselors.

I.
HAD.
A.
BLAST.

We had a counselor hunt - I was laying down at the bottom
of a stairwell among spider webs and who knows what else.
Was the 3rd to last to be found thank you very much.

We had a bonfire and told scary stories. Even I let out
a yelp when the "werewolf" ran by.

I led the girls on an all out pillow assault on
the unsuspecting boys.

I toilet papered my boss' car.

At 3am some girls woke me up to tell me that my
boss was "going crazy" and doing stuff to my car.
Yeah, he was getting me back....so I hid his sleeping bag.

HOW OLD AM I???????

I slept maybe 3 hours and even those were broken up.
Had to work the next day with the same kids who kept me up.

Would I do it again?

In a second.

Loved it.

Thank You!!!!

Thank you for all the birthday wishes.
Had a GREAT day!
Came home from work to find three loads of
laundry done and dinner ready to go.
I have the best husband.
My parents came over with cupcakes.
Very nice day.

Had a great weekend.
Paul planned a golf outing for his
50th bday for Saturday.
One problem, the club was closed due
to all the rain we had. The course was flooded.
Paul scrambled and was able to get T-times
at another course and I made reservations at
a nearby restaurant. What looked like a near
disaster turned out to be a fantastic day.
Dylan was one of the 12 golfers (along with my boss!)
I joined them for dinner and we didn't get home until
1:30 AM.

We took it easy today, got some sun, slept.
It was a great weekend.

Birthday

Today is the 13th anniversary
of my 29th birthday.

Shit

Yesterday my two all time favorite campers got
into it......and not in a good way.
I love these two.
They are always getting into trouble but not because
they are sneaky, nasty or mean.
They're just little guys and they're funny.

Matt: Kerry, he said "shit" to me.
Mitch: Kerry, he said "shit" first.
Matt: No, you said "shit" first.
Mitch: No, you said "shit" first.
Matt: I wouldn't have said "shit" unless you said "shit".
Mitch: Why would I say "shit" if you didn't say "shit"?
Matt: I only said "shit" because you said "shit".
Mitch: You said "shit" before I said "shit".
Matt :Kerry, he said "shit" before I said "shit".
Mitch: No I didn't. He was the first to say "shit". Then I said "shit".
Matt: But you kept saying "shit" so I kept saying "shit".
Kerry: STOP!
Matt: But he said "shit".
Kerry: I SAID STOP! Mitch, did you really say that?
Mitch: But he said "shit"....
Kerry: IS THAT WHAT I ASKED YOU?
Mitch: But he said "shit"....
Kerry: STOP IT! Matt.....
Matt: Kerry, he said "shit" then I said "shit".....
Kerry: SSSTTTTTOPPPPPPPP! Just go play and don't say it anymore.
Matt: (smirking) Okay, we won't say "shit" anymore.

Love him.

Aaaahhhhh, the weekend.

>
I really earned this weekend.
This week was tough.
My boss was on a camping trip so
I was in charge of senior camp this week.
I can honestly say I'm ready for ANYTHING
they throw my way now.
A week of dealing with:
-foul language
-physical abuse of staff
-unwanted "touching"
-crying staff
-major phone calls to parents
.......will do that to you.

Wednesday and Thursday were fun too.
We invited a city camp to use our campus
after hours.
They came on two different days because they
are a very religious Jewish camp: boys and girls
have to be separated.
Well, that's fine, but our counselors aren't kept separate
so we had to figure out how to work with them while
respecting their beliefs.
Wednesday the girls came and it wasn't a problem.
I was in charge of putting the harnesses on for
the bungee jump.
Thursday we had double the number of boys.
Since I wouldn't be able to do the harnesses
(I couldn't touch the boys)
I was asked to actually run the bungee jump.
Now let me describe it:
4 trampolines
each trampoline has a bungee hook up which attaches
to the harnesses.
Here, I found a pic:
I'm supposed to stand on the side of the trampoline
and work a hydrolic lift thingy so the kids are
lifted just off the trampoline and then jump
and then they do flips and all that junk.
I AM AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!!!!!
Ok, so the trampoline is only 4 feet off the ground.
BUT here I am trying to balance, watching the kid
jump, I'm getting bounced around and I can't hold
onto anything.
Couldn't do it.
I couldn't get my bearings.
Ugh.
So I then moved to the zip line.
I am proud to say we have the longest zip line
on Long Island. I have to take their word for it
because there is NOT A SNOWBALLS CHANCE IN HELL
that I would EVER get up there.
Now, since I again cannot put the harnesses on the boys
I am left to put up the 8ft ladder each time the boys
zip past me. Then, as they zip back in my direction I
am to GRAB their legs to stop them, pull them to the ladder
which they will then climb up a step or two to the top
be unhooked and I help them down.
(Yeah, I know, can't put on harnesses but I
can grab their legs - whatever.)
*yes, take a minute to picture that scenario.
*go ahead.
Now stop laughing.
Yeah.
Now add a temp of 90 degrees.
Ok, now add humidity.
I really earned this weekend.

Little Boys

Ahhh, little boys.
I am responsible for about 12 of
them this summer.
12 8 and 9 year olds.
10 of them are great!
1 is struggling, but he's trying.
1 is trouble.
Not bad trouble, but trouble.
He gets into trouble each and every day.
The latest was throwing rocks.....
at the camp director's office windows.
Bad move.
WHY, WHY WHY????
Shouldn't he know that throwing rocks is wrong?
He's not a stupid child.
He's pretty bright, has an excuse for everything.
UGH!
Yeah, I guess he's just a little boy.

Hey - are you lurking???

Dana?
Donna?
Kim?
Jodi?

I know you're visiting.
Leave me a "hello".
It's easy.
Just register with blogger.
You don't have to have a blog.
I'd love to hear from you!

Boy Scout Camp

Dylan was away all last week.
The entire week.
One whole week.
I missed him so much.
What am I going to do when he
goes away to college??!!!!

Well, HE had a great time.
Not that he called us even once
to tell us.
Nope.
Didn't hear from him one time.
NOT ONCE.

He earned 6 merit badges.
And now he wants a mountain board.
Mountain board?
It's like a snow board but with wheels.
Don't ask me......

Well, he's back and our family is back to normal.
I missed him so much.

A new favorite.

Andy.

He's 8.

He likes to talk about Pokemon.
"Kerry, which is your favorite Pokemon?"
"Um, Charzard I guess."
"Kerry, Pokemon are gay."

He's not a great athlete.
"Andy, how was baseball today?"
"Great except I got hit in the nuts."

He's lacking in diplomacy.
"Andy, I know you said that Billy spit in
your face, but you didn't tell me you
spit in his face first."
"So?"

I just like this kid.

Remember Him? Well.......

Remember this little guy from last summer?

Monday, July 23, 2007

Mitchell

Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Kerry?
Yes, Mitchell?
Kerry?
Yes?
What are we doing now?
We're not talking, Mitchell.
Oh.
Kerry?

Well, he's back.
I love him.
HOWEVER.....
He has a new tool in his arsenal.
I wish I could record it for you.
I'll do my best to describe it.
Imagine a sitcom or game show from the 70's.
Imagine something goes wrong.
They play this sound effect;
Waaaaa Waaaaaa Waaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaa.
Now, for each Waaaa, stress the W sound and
really drag out the aaaaaaas and make sure
you drop the second Waaaaaa down a few notes,
do the same with the third and fourth.
Really drag out the fourth one.
Now make sure you do this REALLY LOUDLY
in someone's face.
THAT is Mitchell's "new thing".
Very enjoyable.

Totally.......

exhausted.
I spent most of my day teaching
dance moves to kids who....how shall I
put this....well, they are not dancers.
BUT - they shall become dancers!
...unless they kill me first.

One Week Down

Okay, I finished my first week of camp.
How did it go?
Well......
First - G.
He gets picked up early every day.
The second day of camp, it's time for
him to go to the office to wait for mom.
Where is G.
Can't find G.
Hmmmm.
"G"
"G!"
No G.
Now, all of senior camp is in the
same area having ice cream.
There are roughly 150 kids.
"G!"
So I enlist the help of my fellow
group leaders to find G.
Since it's only the second day, they don't
really know what he looks like but I told them
he was wearing an orange shirt.
Well, my friend Brian, who is a phys. ed teacher
at our school, is over 6ft. tall - he's huge.
He starts going up to every boy in an orange shirt,..
"ARE YOU G?!" "ARE YOU G?!!!!"
He was great but he kids were shaking it their boots
like, "No, I'm not but if you want me to be I will. "
Then I see G's mom drive in.
SHIT!
Where is G??????
Then I get an idea.
I run to the area where the intermediate campers
are having their snack. You see, my kids, who are now
senior campers were in intermediate camp last
year.
So I run up there and who do I see having a great
time eating his ice cream.....
G!
Forget that none of his friends are there.
Forget that none of the counselors he knows are there.
He's having ice cream and he's happy and he's where
he should have been.....LAST SUMMER.
I did not get mad.
I was so happy I found him and he was safe.
And let's face it, he's an 8 year old.
He remembered where to go, a year late.
So I gave him a hug, talked to him about his
NEW snack area and walked him to mom.
The next day I quizzed him a few times about
where senior camp snack was held.
He smiled and gave the right answer.