Collin: First Sleep Away Camp

After spending all day Saturday at home taking fever medicine every 4 hours, Collin felt much better to go to camp....not that he wanted to go to camp. He had not said anything to me about it until Friday when he stayed home from soccer camp again. He hoped he did not get better because he knew he was going to camp. He said he was scared and did not want to go to camp. His reasons where:

I might fall into the lake where there are fish.

I won't know anyone there

I will be scared at night

I let him know these were all fine reasons for not wanting to go. I told him that it was very normal to feel scared because he had not been were he is going AND he has not spent that many nights away from us. We talked more about why he was scared and night even though I could guess why. He did say he did not want to wet his bed and have the other boys find out. I made sure he knew that I was sending medicine for him and the nurse would help him take it every night. He seemed only slightly better when I said this.

That night, he helped me go down the list of what to pack. He picked out all of the clothes and bedding. He then helped me figure out what he was going to wear each day so I could put it in a gallon zip bag for him. That way, all he had to do was pull out the bag each morning and he would have his clothes for the day. Yes, this would help him but I thought it would also help keep most of his clothes in his bag and not all over the floor.

The next morning, Mimi came over to visit because it was going to be a while before we saw her again. While I labeled everything he was bringing to camp, he and Mimi watched and talked about what he was going to do....well, he wanted to play with Burke and not talk about camp at all. At one point, I handed him his journal he was supposed to bring to camp and asked him to write on the first page how he was feeling about camp. Was he now excited? What was he looking forward to doing when he got there? He wrote:

I don't want to go to camp!

Well, at least he is consistent. I told him that I bet after a week of camp, he will read that statement and not agree with it. He WILL have fun, meet new friends, learn at least one thing he did not know before, and have fun at night in the cabin with the other boys.

We meet four other families at lunch that were also going to the camp. This gave the boys time to talk about camp and get excited about it. Collin met up with his bunk mate, Foard, and were laughing and talking too much to think about eating.

We all left and got to camp early; before the gate opened. While waiting, the boys got out of the car, sat on the rood like the other kids or hung out the window. Thirty minutes later, it was time to drive up and check-in.

What is he thinking about up there? Maybe, "I might like this camping thing"

Foard and Collin having fun hanging out the sunroof

What? This is not like any camp I have been to. No roughing it here.

Collin and Foard where staying in Rustler 1. We walked in and the boys were already assigned to a bunk bed. Collin was on the top. We made the beds and the boys changed into swim suits to swim for an hour as the other kids arrived. There is when the parents were supposed to leave and not linger so the kids would be distracted with swimming. Daddy did not know this and did not get a chance to say Bye to Collin before he took off and was already in line for the swimming pool. There is a gate around the pool and only kids are allowed inside. There were several parents hanging around the outside of the gate. We walked up so Daddy could tell Collin bye. When he swam close to us, were were saying Bye when he said, "This swim shirt is making me swim slow". At least he was not crying that we were not in there with him.

Have not even had a chance to make the beds and the boys are already playing around

Found out that there is room under the bed

Here is a list of the daily activities and the various activities for the week. Going to bed by 9pm should not be a problem for these guys.

Before leaving, we went to the General Store at the camp and bought him a little present (finger lights) that we put on his pillow before we left. I am sure will be excited to see these when he crawls in bed. He also has credit at the store to buy treats, snacks and small items throughout the week. Wonder if he will have any money left when we pick him up.