Hey - I'm Back!

Hi!
I'm back.
How have you been?
I've missed you!

Yes, camp is over and I've just about recuperated.
We finished last Friday and I slept on and off all
through Saturday and Sunday. Now I'M on vacation.
And being on vacation I've been doing things that
I want to do, like ruining my skin. (I like a tan).

Today I did something that some people would
consider child abuse........
I went outlet shopping and dragged my 13 year
old son with me. As you can see, he wasn't all that trilled.

I'd never been to these outlets, they're new and very nice.

They're very clean and look like they belong in Florida. The only things
missing are palm trees and loads of old people.
While I shopped, Dylan sat on the HUGE benches.
They look like they're made for giants.

He did humor me by trying on school shoes.

He ended up liking them so we got them and a ring I tried
on and couldn't get off my finger, but I really like it.
I did very well at Old Navy, which I usually don't care for.
A couple of short cord skirts to wear with tights and sweaters.


And I LOVE these pants. Great colors!


Dylan spent some time with the Old Navy people:

I also let him get those sunglasses so he was happy.
We stopped at Johnny Rockets for lunch. They had outside
seating and since today was 75 degrees with low humidity
it was perfect!

Dylan and I both decided we had a terrific day together.
Will I manage to convince him to go with me again?
Probably not, and that's fine, but today was wonderful.

I Just Love Him

Very Cool

Have you seen this?

SO GREAT!

KRAZY BUSY

I haven't blogged in a looooooong time.
I have been KRAZY busy with camp.
I get there at 7:30 am and get home around
6:30 pm and I'm usually asleep before
it gets dark!

Ok, here is a story about my latest
favorite little guy.
He's 6.
He cries a lot.
He cries when he's lost something (which happens a lot).
He cries when he's nervous.
He cries when he's having a tough day.
He's just a sensitive little guy and everyone loves him.
He has a heart of gold.
So sweet!
So, we were having a huge initiating
ceremony for kids who have been at
camp for 5 years.
We make them ice cream sundaes.
No, not to eat.
We make THEM ice cream sundaes.
We cover them with chocolate sauce, sprinkles
whipped cream and then everyone throws
water at them.
Kids love this.
Well, all this craziness is going on
and I feel a little person wrap their
arms around my leg and hug me
VERY tight.
It's my little sensitive guy.
I crouch down and ask if he's ok.
He says"
"Kerry, this is the BEST day of my life!!!!"

Love him!

Drama

Drama.
I'm talking REAL drama, not life drama.
Musical theater drama!
I run the drama workshop at camp and
I have to say that the kids I have this year
are fantastic!
I teach them a number and they actually
REMEMBER it!
In the past we would rehearse a number
4987 times. Then the next day I'd ask them
to run through it and they'd look at me like
I was speaking another language and we'd
have to learn it all over again.
This group absolutely astounded me this
morning. I had planned to allot 1/2 of our
time re-learing our last number.
They got up, did it - perfectly - and I
sat there thinking....."now what"?
Love them!!!

Happy 4th!

We FINALLY have some nice weather here in NY.
It has rained for the past 397 days.
Ok, maybe not that many days but close.
Today is beautiful.
I sat out and damaged my skin, lovin' it.
We're off to a friend's house for a BBQ.
I'm wearing:

with white pants and THESE shoes:

Love them.
These sell for $56 on Zappos:

My green pair were $17 at Target!
I love them.
I'm getting them in every color.
(You do know, don't you, that since I wrote that,
the universe is working against me and just magically
sold out of all colors in my size. It just happened, just now.
Trust me.)
Dammit!

38 Days Left

First day of camp - done.
It was....um.......a little hectic, but
it always is on the first day.

One of our busses had a problem
this morning. We lease our busses,
and drivers (none of us drive busses,
they're all professionals).
A driver had a STROKE while driving
the kids to camp this morning!
She passed out at the wheel,
and the bus started hitting
cars. It is my understanding that
they were not going fast. They
were in local traffic. The 16 year old
bus counselor
had the presence of mind to
pull the emergency brake and stop
the bus. Thank God, no one was hurt,
well, except for the driver.
The kids were all fine, all other drivers
were fine. Everyone went to the hospital to
get checked out.
Unfortunately, the driver is not doing well.
How about that counselor, huh?
He's a Life Scout (right before Eagle Scout)
So proud of him!
Yeah, so there you go - first day of camp.
38 more to go and I reeaaaallllllly hope
they are much less eventful.

Oh wait I have a question:
Do I let my 13 year old son go on a
trip with camp to the beach for the day.
To the ocean.
With hundreds of other people.
Do I let him go when I won't be there
keeping my eyes on him every second
he's in the water?
He's a great swimmer, but, you know,
it's the ocean.
Weigh in people.
Paul says let him go.
Here are the facts:
About 30 kids going ranging in
age from 13-15.
5 adult counselors.
Life guards.
Ocean.
No mommy.
What would you do?

King of Pop

Loved watching this. I remember thinking how
cool it was that a kid has his own "real" cartoon.

Ok, this was amazing.

I remember when Marianne Walczak got the
Thriller album. We listened to it over
and over in her dining room - that's
where her family kept their turntable.
We danced all over the house.

Then he started getting weird.
I was into A Flock of Seagulls and Squeeze.
Forgot all about him.
Some years later I was at an airport
during a layover. I remember watching
something pretty amazing on a TV.
It was Black or White.
Amazing video.
How cool was that morphing at the end??!!
Wow.
Michael Jackson.
Wow.

Fast forward.
Dylan is little.
We're on line at the grocery store.
He sees this pic on a tabloid:

He asks:
"Why is that lady hanging her baby out the window?"
Yeah.
He was weird. Really weird.
But you cannot deny that he was a
musical genius.
I think I'll go play
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough
and dance around the house.

Camp Mode

Yup, I'm in CAMP MODE!
For those of you who don't know,
my school has an awesome summer camp
and this is my 4th year working there.
Who would have thought that I would enjoy
running around in the heat with no
make-up on? Certainly not me!
But I LOVE camp.
This year I was promoted to
Special Events Coordinator -
ie: the Julie McCoy of camp
(If you get my reference let me know!)
which also makes me an administrator.
Pretty cool.
There have been some major staff
changes this year which are not sitting
well with some people which is lending
to some tension at camp.
TENSION AT CAMP.
Now tell me - should that sentence
ever have to be uttered?
IT'S CAMP!
Camp.
Tension.
Those two words should never go together.
I vow NOT to let the tension spoil
my camp buzz.
We'll see what happens.
Stay tuned!

Voices In His Head

So we're sitting at the dinner table
and Dylan starts talking about the
new iPhone YET AGAIN.
I told him to knock it off, he's not
getting one.
He continues to sing its praises so
I said:
"Look, I don't want to hear it anymore.
Just say it in your head."
He answers:
"The voices in my head don't
want to hear it either."

Voices in his head.
Yup.
He's my child.

My sweet little boy

7 Year old with an attitude

And I wonder about the voices??

Hey - it won first prize.

He still won't tell me how he got Silly Putty
back there.

Everyday life

He's the best - voices and all

I SURVIVED!!

Yup, I survived a 3 day trip
with the 8th grade.
We went to the Poconos.
(mountains in Pennsylvania)

Listen up people:
I WENT WHITE WATER RAFTING!
Yes, me, in a raft. Yes, me, who
hates all things having to do with nature.
I did it.
AND I had a raft full of Princesses.
They're terrific kids but any sort of manual
labor is totally foreign to them.
They were so busy talking about how cold
and miserable they were that
I had to remind them to put the paddles
IN THE WATER.
When they did put them in the water and I
finally did get them to paddle, I was the one
doing most of the work.
They were all saying, "stroke, stroke, stroke.
And in between I was saying,
"I'm having a.....I'm having a........I'm having a......."
I found that I could get them to work harder if instead of
saying stroke, I said, "Prada, Versache, Coach...."
That cheered them up and got them going.

Day 2 included a trip to a water park, boating,
putt putt, and all sorts of field games.
I actually played rock ball - I'm terrible, lol.

Day 3 - I'm not sure what we did.
The whole trip is a blur.
There was basketball, pool time, bowling,
hiking, BBQ, arcade time, volleyball, softball.
It was a fun, busy trip.
Bottom line - I survived.
I'm exhausted, but I survived.
.....and I'd do it again next year!

Good and Bad

Good

You must try these. So good.

Bad

Horrible mascara. Well, I wouldn't actually know because the brush
stinks! It's "flexible", meaning it wacks you in the eye
when you least expect it. It's my own fault. I only picked
it up because I was drawn to the green.

Good


My new Coach wallet. Just looking at it makes me smile!
The boys got it for me for Mother's Day.
Well, I helped them pick it out.
Mine isn't pink, it's these colors:

Blue on the outside, green on the inside.
They also got me that key chain!

Bad

Drinking this before bedtime. So dumb.

Good

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm reading the book.
LOVE IT.

Bad

Packing for a trip.
Yes, I am going on a trip.
Well, actually, I'm chaperoning an 8th grade trip.
We're going white water rafting.
Kill me now.