The Staff

Eating dinner in the middle of the program meeting

Lifeguard training and CPR/First aid certification classes are done. I actually enjoy teaching both of them, but it is a busy 5 days and Augustus refuses to take a bottle these days, so poor Katie had to patiently comfort a very unhappy baby a few times in the last few days. 

Grandma Debbie is here now and Nate arrives in the morning, and staff training officially begins tomorrow! Staff training is super fun (one of my MOST favorite parts of camp actually), but it is 12 hours a day! Friday and Saturday are mostly lead by me (which is a lot of time listening to my voice for our new staff!) but then after that, Meghan, Julia and Amanda take over, so that will be excellent. It will be an intense 7 days. 

All of the staff are here now and it’s been so fun to watch Xander and Augustus interact with everyone. Augustus has recently been in a super clingy phase, crying for me even when Nate is holding him. But we have several staff this summer who love babies and I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and happy he is with them, even when I’m within view.

And Xander… well, there are not enough words to describe how wonderful the staff have been to him, and how much he is enjoying all of the attention he receives every day. I just want to follow him around with a camera all day and watch him interact with people. He bosses people around, asking them to get him chocolate milk at dinner, asking for them to help with his jeep, drive him around on the golf cart. They not only help him when he asks, but go out of their way to let him be part of things. The other day, I saw Katie and Augustus, but not Xander. He was riding around on the golf cart with Amanda, helping collect garbage. He loves helping. 

This evening, a group of counselors were playing frisbee on the field- Xander wanted to play and was standing off to the side. I was getting ready to explain that they were busy and we could play later when they ALL yelled to him to come over and play. They threw the frisbee to him and helped him throw it back. It was SO cute. 

There are definitely some challenges to being in a tiny camper in the woods with 2 little kids and without Nate for the most part. But the camp staff make life easier and bring so much joy to all of us. I believe it is good for the boys to have so many wonderful people around them. Camp is kind of a perfect little community that is safe and wholesome and nice and filled with lovely people who want to help each other. It makes me so happy every time I see Xander being confident, outgoing, friendly and independent. He is growing up before my eyes and I’m very proud of him.

Every night before bed, I lay with him and ask him about what made him happy that day. Every day he says, “friends” or lists people by name. He will say, “my friend Julia” or lay in bed and list “Katie, Amanda, Meghan, Julia, Ross…”