After taking last year off, we returned to family camp again at Camp Don Bosco. The children rejoiced in anticipation (except for Robin since last time he was in utero and doesn't remember). I took a different more holistic approach to packing (all the shoes in one bin, towels in another,etc versus packing for individuals). Packing was made lighter since the weather was forecast to be a scorcher. We packed lots of water bottles and fans.
CYO listened to input from previous years and revamped family camp. The programming was great, the food healthier. I was impressed by how on time everything ran. I appreciated that pony rides were offered both days first thing in the morning instead of during nap time.
Despite always loving riding horses, Eileen was nervous at first and refused to get on a pony. She changed her mind at the last minute. She spent the rest of the weekend telling me how much she loved her new best friend, Hi-Jack. You will note the dress over jeans and t-shirt. I didn't pack her dresses for the weekend so she wouldn't ruin them. She flipped out and insisted on wearing this one (that she wore when we arrived) every day.
The weather was hot. Robin actually took great naps, but often they were during program times. This meant I got to spend a lot of time relaxing and reading a book while Dave helped steer the kids. During actual nap time, I took the kids into town to get some ice cream at Blake's and let Dave nap.
There were lots of programming choices, so many in fact that Linus couldn't do everything he wanted. The upside to family camp is that if you plan it right, you can do multiple activities during the course of one program session. Linus especially liked laser tag, capture the flag, and kickball. Eileen preferred the craft shop. There was enough staff and Linus was independent enough that we often could just drop Linus off at the meeting spot for an activity, tell him where we would be, and then Dave and I could be with the other two kids.
Robin and I did make it to kickball. I would swing his whole body so he would make contact with the balls and then run him around the bases holding him in front of me. He loved it and asked for more. He was a kickin' machine.
The bandage on his forehead? Oh, Robin was just getting to know the deck of the pool on a more intimate level. The pool was nice and significantly warmer than its notorious predecessor. I even got in although anything below 88 degrees is a little cold for my tastes. We didn't get to use the wading pool but it looked fun.
Robin had a big smile plastered across his face the whole weekend. He loved campfire best and signed "more" after each song.
Besides actually having time to quietly read a book by myself. The best part of camp was how engaged the kids were. There was no fighting between them. Linus was pretty free to roam. You could relax because you knew he was safe and there were lots of adults and staff around. I think he relished the independence. Eileen was a bit clingy but I think that had something to do with being overtired since she was playing hard, staying up late, and not napping.
On the last day, they asked the person who had the most fun at each table to raise your hand. Linus' shot up fast. I loved watching him come into his own. He loves to leads songs at campfire. He has no fear when it comes to getting up in front of crowds. Linus oozes with enthusiasm at each activity. He will make a great counselor some day.
Back home everyone slept long and hard. Today the kids are playing nicely together. I think we all needed a little break from home to recharge.
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