Just another day in paradise

And we're back! Sarah here reporting from WLC where we are currently knee-deep in Diabetes Week 1. The week is off to a great start. We have called in the professionals to give us a hand, some nice folks from the American Diabetes Association who do most of the work with the kiddos. I'm learning a lot about diabetes from the campers. They have a great attitude about it and are pretty open to answering my questions. It's their way of life, what they know, and so they are willing to educate others to help us understand. I've been letting the kiddos in the cabin I'm working with test my blood sugar as often as they ask to, because they have to do it quite a bit.
Some of our kids have insulin pumps and some do injections. It's mostly a personal preference, just like some people who are deaf chose to get cochlear implants and some do not. One reason staff love the two diabetes weeks is because the campers stop for frequent snack breaks--and we get fed too. The food is really healthy this week, because good diet (and exercise) are factors that help control diabetes.

This morning I got to participate in an activity called Paint Your Counselor (PYC) which is exactly what it sounds like. Mix a little soap in with the paint, put on your swimsuit, and give the brushes to the kids--they'll do all the work! And what a nice job they did:

In the picture next to me is my friend Jacob, who is basically the reason I came to camp in the first place :-)

Right after PYC we jumped in the lake for some innertube fun, so I didn't get to keep my decorations on for too long. The campers really had a blast painting me and the three other staff members. The kids in the cabin I'm working with this week are eight and nine years old and I just love them--and they love me! They said I am their favorite Sarah! They are always begging to hold my hand or get a piggy back ride or carry my bag. They see us staff people signing and are eager to learn sign too.

After this week I have all of next week (Diabetes 2) and then I am going home for three short days before I head back to school for CA training. I'm going to be taking with me a lot of great experience and leaving behind a lot of fantastic people who I hope to stay in touch with until next summer when I come back again! Stay tuned for more updates in my last 10 days at WLC!

~SJ