Having a Great Time, Wish You Were Here

So many things about vacation have changed since we were kids. We used to disappear for a week, perhaps send a postcard to say hello. Photos were taken using our 35mm film, and reviewed a few days upon return (if you remembered to have them processed). Car trips, when we were kids, were long and boring, and consisted of fighting over which radio station to listen to, and looking out the window to amuse ourselves. Speaking by phone to anyone was next to impossible, unless you wanted to pay outrageous fees to your hotel

My how things have changed. We can talk to our hearts content via our cell phones, check our e-mail on our wireless laptops, and update our facebook account (another story, another blog post). We can edit our photos on the same day, and create home movies that rival Spielberg (okay, Harry Spielberg, not Steven, but you get the picture). Car trips are a highlight these days, between i-pods, game boys and dvd players in the car. Trips are no longer measured in miles, but in how many movies. (i.e. it takes 7 movies to get to Florida; 1 movie to drive to the shore; 3 movies til Virgina, etc.)

I could write now about how much I miss the old days, how vacations have lost there purity. How my children should foster their imaginations by looking out the window. How we should bond as a family by simply talking. (Which we do a lot of). But...I'm on vacation. I don't really feel like being on serious, that's for the other 51 weeks of the year. Below is a little movie of our 2nd day in town. Boring to most, but I love it. :)

What I Did This Summer

Actually, this is what I did the last week of camp. We had our annual banquet, and this year's theme was "Grease". Over the years that I have been at camp the banquet has morphed into a huge undertaking. My staff and I spend the last week of camp making decorations, centerpieces and preparing for this one special night.

This year was amazing. We had a great presentation, that I think the campers just loved. My wonderfully beautiful and talented staff performed a dance to "We Go Together", in costumes they made themselves. Our decorations and centerpieces were fantastic,but I must admit, I'm most proud of a little movie This is one of our centerpieces (we made 35 total) that I worked on with my friend Caryl.
The "milkshake" is NOT real...how cool is that?

we put together, a parody of Grease, starring many of our upper staff members in key roles.

I must say, that when I began this endeavor, I was so nervous that I wouldn't get cooperation from those I recruited to participate. After all, everyone is so busy at camp, and moments of frivolity are hard to come by. I must admit I felt rather presumptuous expecting people to step out of their routine, not to mention their comfort zone. I couldn't have been more wrong. Every one was so enthusiastic and excited by this project.

I was doubly blessed by having our camp Program Coordinator take over most of the editing of the movie. Thank heavens, because the editing of this movie is SPECTACULAR!!!

Anyway, I'm so excited to share the youtube link with you, please check it out. I'm so proud of this!!!

Home Sweet Home

We made through a wonderful summer, and now we are all safe and sound, and home. This was a successful summer for all of us, though I think very hard on my husband. Going from a bustling, busy house, to an empty one, for 8 full weeks must be very tough after the first two days. His support for our camp lifestyle is unwavering and I'm so thankful.

In November, 2002, when I was first offered the position at camp, I remember telling Gregg, that this wasn't just about the upcoming summer, instead this was about a lifestyle choice, We would not have ordinary summers that I had expected for our family. No weekend barbecues, no day trips to the zoo, museums or even the dog park. No (very inexpensive) community day camp for the girls; no staying inside in air-conditioned comfort on those days where its not the heat, it's the humidity; no bells jingling from the ice cream man, no lemonade stands. We wouldn't have our daily trek to our nearby beach, no hosing down of sand off of little piggies. No setting up a plastic pool, and watching all the neighborhood children magically appear in bathing suits and flip-flops.

And as I have mentioned before, leaving each year, is heartbreaking. I'm never ready to leave my home, I usually feel like, I just want to have a summer like normal people, though by the end of camp, I feel proud and invigorated that my hard work, and dedication have resulted in my daughters truly enjoying picture perfect summers.

I now consider myself lucky. How many other 40-something women do you know that get to spend their two months in summer camp? I get to be the fly on the wall that we all would now and then like to be. And the campers, not just my own children, but all of the children, that I have now watched grow up, I get to share in their joys and accomplishments. And whether they sing a beautiful song in a talent show, perform in a play, win a competition or are given a special award for their hard work, I cheer proudly, like I would for my own.

I always knew, for sure, that camp is great for my children, but what I didn't expect was that it would be great for our whole family. We are a special little community at camp. Working long days, giggling, sweating, creating, and having fun. We learn we have more potential than we ever thought possible, and that by just working hard, we make beautiful friendships. We learn that kindness goes a long way, and that when dealing with people, patience and understanding are key. We make mistakes everyday, and learn to deal with them, and we can make something wonderful out of very little.

I know this doesn't make a lot of sense, as this is more a stream of consciousness type post than i normally write. Forgive me, I'm tired and it's sooooooo late.

Anyway, glad to be back in the real world!

Color War Fun

The camp is in the midst of color war, which, to the camping world, is THE major event of the summer. The camp is divided into two teams, and they compete in a myriad of events and competitions. Addison took part on her teams little dance team, and I thought you would enjoy sneaking a peak at my little star. (If it doesn't load right away, it only means that you tube hasn't finished processing, and you are on this blog much more quickly than I had anticipated.

If you still don't see it, search youtube.com for "Lilshish" and a list of my videos will come up...

xoxoxo

I'll Make this Quick

I cannot believe we have only a little more than a week before we come home....HOW DID THIS SUMMER FLY LIKE THIS???

I just want to tell my kids to look around, this is all going to be a memory, so treasure every moment we have.

I have the best job, I'm having a wonderful time, and it's great to be part of something so special. Unless you've experienced it yourself, it's hard to understand. But I am so blessed to be able to share the camp experience with my children, and spend my time working with wonderful, energetic and brilliant young people.

I'm looking forward to being home, but I'm really going to miss my summer home....

I'm Still Here

I'm sitting outside on a beautiful evening on "Super Duper" OD....this means I'm the "on duty"staff member this evening at camp. Staying up until 1:00 am, is tough, but thankfully, my summer is peppered with only 4 "OD" nights. So I can handle this.I

Normally, OD is filled with counselors, campers, noise and socializing, but tonight,...oh my god, A SKUNK JUST WALKED BY ABOUT 15 FEET AWAY. I'M NOT FREAKING OUT. I'M NOT FREAKING OUT. OKAY I'M FREAKING OUT A LITTLE. ALL I CAN THINK OF IS THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY AND TOMATO JUICE BATHS.

I'M LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE SITTING HERE IN CENTRAL CAMP. OKAY, ME AND MY COMPUTER. AND, SERIOUSLY, I'M NOT MATURE ENOUGH FOR THIS JOB. I JUST WANT TO GO IN MY CABIN AND SNUGGLE INTO MY BED. EEEEEEEEEEEK.

Well. I don't see him anymore, but i don't know where he is. I'm just going to hope for the best.

Only 35 more minutes to sit here before i can go to bed.

I got nothing else to say. I'm just all skunked out.

xoxox

At least I posted, Wendi!!!

Drama Queen

I had a nice evening tonight with Julie, who is our Theatre Director at camp. One of the most fun parts of my job is helping out with our theatrical productions. This evening, Julie and I made our annual pilgrimage to Wal-Mart, to buy fabrics and notions to create costumes for our camp play.

I am a total Theatre geek. I spent my middle and high school years putting more energy into the school play than I put into the school work. I smiled my way into musical productions, though I don’t have a bit of singing talent, I hammed my way into community theatre, theatre classes at summer school (no summer camp, by the way!) not to mention choir classes and a musical ensemble group in my Junior and Senior high school years.

These were great times. The friends that I met in theatre were so perfect for me. They were not judgmental, materialistic, snobby or unkind. They were funny, intelligent, free-spirited, creative, not to mention talented. They appreciated my silly sense of humor, my unconventional fashion choices, and my favorite high school motto, ‘Why Be Normal”. It was with my fellow Theatre Geeks that I felt most like…me.

After high school, the theatrical opportunities for someone with the limited amount of talent I had, sort of disintegrated. The fun theatre people I had been so comfortable around were now far away from me, and I quickly realized that those high school years were times that I will never reclaim (nor forget). Having the chance to be involved in a production again (even on the production side), stirs up memories and feelings that I had forgotten about long ago. Spending time with Julie, our Theatre Director and actress from New York, has been a little like those “old days”. Julie has that same brand of intelligence, humor, and free spiritedness that I admired in my theatre friends from my youth. Though she is almost 20 years younger than me, the chronological age difference melts away when we hang out together. It’s nice to feel that youthful exuberance and those flashes of creative energy once more. So thank you Julie, for not treating me like a grown-up. I really feel a kinship with you, and I’m grateful for the chance to work together.

The play this summer is Peter Pan, one of my all-time favorite shows. I got the part of a “Lost Boy” in seventh grade, and now my little Addie is going to be a Lost Boy at camp. Getting to conceptualize the costuming of this show is challenging, but totally exciting. I simply can’t wait to see it all come together, and of course, I’ll post the photos.