Hey world!
The last couple of days are always the strangest. The kids are excited cause its almost time to go home but also sad cause they will miss the counselors and its much the same for us. Except it seems all the tiredness that we push to the side bombards us in the final days cause we know we are so close.
A couple of nights ago was banquet. Its when we get dressed up – or as dressed up as camp people can get – and have a nice dinner at camp. Presentations are made to campers who are chosen as basically camper of the summer due to their attitude and how they are with others along with jackets to all those who are in their 5th year and 10th year. It also features the summer of 2011 slide show, which reminds us of all we have done and what we will miss from camp. Now while I enjoy any excuse to suit up – and lets face it im very good at it – that would be a bit much in this case. So jeans and shirt wins out and the camera is going non stop to make sure pictures are taken with lots of peoples. The chiefs, which are my kids from last year were very upset after the slide show and lots of crying was going on.. which doesn’t bode well given it’s the next night that is usually the one where people cry cause its our last night before kids go home. And theres a big farewell and candles… oh yeah they want us to cry!... but ill save that for now… after the slide show and people started disappearing there was no leaving for me and james cause we wanted to be with the chiefs, our kids from last year. And given the crying at the idea of leaving that was going on i think they were okay with it. Even after we did leave I think it was about an hour or so before we actually got to bed. I had boys thanking me for being there for them and taking care of them and begging me to come back next year.. it was all very full on… but it was nothing compared to the next night.
At the end of every summer we have an awards night for the kids where every department gives out awards. The swim one goes forever because every camper gets a card to say what level they passed up till plus the awards. But after that we have a cookout – it’s a bbq I don’t see why they change the name of it – and then its off to wish night… wish night is designed as a chance for everyone to say goodbye and as each division casts off their candle into the lake they make a wish and all this other stuff.. when it comes right down to it its all about the goodbyes. This was another night surrounded by chiefs although there was 1 or 2 braves around also. After the main part of the night hill camp and the braves go back to their bunks and chiefs go to a camp fire to reflect on the year and talk about the division and all that kind of stuff… no guesses for where me and james ended up. So we were at the fire and crying kids were all over the place. I think 3 were clinging to james and I had 2 sometimes 3 on me. At one stage of the night I had to hold one up cause he was that upset he just couldn’t stand anymore. I wish I was making some of this up but no they were just that upset. This went on for a long time and I wont go into it all but finally said our goodbyes and went back to brave row. Only some of them were upset. But I said goodbye to the braves I felt I had to and any others that were around so didn’t ignore them completely.
But when all is said and done camp was about to end, or at least camp as we know it. Some of the boys stay for father son weekend which has their dads join them and do camp activities for the weekend but that’s a whole new world cause the kids are now with their parents. But its still nice when they come chat to us given how rare it is cause they are so busy. So Saturday morning most of them went home. Tomorrow the rest go home.. and then chinese family camp starts… from what ive been told that is going to blow my mind with weirdness so that’s something to look forward to.
But that’s all from me for now.
Take care
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