We’re here! It’s 90 degrees and hot and I always forget that arrival day is the WORST day of the year. But as the sun is setting behind me, we are unpacked and settled in and I’m already forgetting the long, exhausting day.
Nate and I had the van and his car mostly packed yesterday and we finished this morning. I left first- a head start so I could get some unpacking and cleaning done before they arrived.
I got to camp and unloaded 5 coolers and 4 big costco boxes of food. I started scrubbing and vacuuming every inch of the trailer. It looked surprisingly good considering it’s been empty in the middle of the woods for 10 months. There were a few mouse poops, some dead ants, a little dirt, but overall, it wasn’t bad. I had half of it cleaned or organized by the time the boys arrived. Lucky for us it’s only 400 square feet, so I can deep clean it quickly.
One of my jobs as a camp director is to talk to nervous parents about sending their kids to camp. They worry their child will be homesick, sad, or struggle with something. I could talk ALL day about the benefits of camp, INCLUDING the adversity they face. They WILL be homesick, or not like a meal, or argue with cabinmates. But all of that is SO good for them. That is how they build confidence, resiliency, independence. I believe so deeply in the camp experience.
The first time Xander was old enough to realize he and Nate would be apart for big chunks of the summer, he cried while saying goodbye. Nate cried. I cried. And I was left with a crying toddler, in a trailer in the middle of the woods. And all of my strong beliefs about resiliency and growth went out the window and thus a magic cabinet was born directly out of mom guilt. Overcoming challenges are easier when you get surprised with toys on a regular basis.
The magic cabinet is not my proudest mom strategy, but hopefully it can fall into the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, Easter bunny category of childhood magic and not the bad parenting ideas we shake our head at when we look back.
Anyway, needless to say they were VERY excited when they pulled up to camp, and when I told them to come quick, something about the cabinet looked different, and they saw Power Ranger stickers on the outside of it, Xander was beside himself. There were toys for both the boys AND Axel. The cabinet also has new toothbrushes, pajamas, 4th of July tee shirts, socks, and sunglasses for later in the month. It’s a generous cabinet, but also mostly practical.
Nate and the boys explored camp as much as they could in the heat. I continued cleaning, organizing and unpacking. They swam a little bit and then we had dinner. They are bigger and more energetic and the trailer feels smaller this year already, but we’re all excited to be here.
By the evening, everything was unpacked and clean. The air-conditioning was keeping the trailer very pleasant. The boys and I went out to watch the sunset. Behind the trailer is a field of daisies and after a LONG, hot, sweaty, hard day of work, my whole body was aching, I had to pause to take it all in and remember that this is also sorta paradise and worth the hard work.
Our sweet Axel is finally calm after a stressful day. When I started packing yesterday, he was curious and followed me around. Today he was anxious and unsure of what was going on. When we took down his kennel, I was worried he would think we were giving him away, and I had to remind myself that dogs don’t think the same way people do, but he has had a lot of transition in his short life. And dogs DO know when something is going on, and he definitely realized something was up. He has been pretty stressed all day. It’s a new place and it’s also so so hot, which makes it hard to take him out and explore. We’ve been focused on keeping him cool and reassuring him so that he knows this is a good place and he is ok. It is supposed to be cooler in the morning tomorrow, and I am eager to take him out for a nice walk so he can explore.
Summer 2020 is entirely different than any summer before, but we’re here and I’m happy to be back.