So my "all-deaf" cabin actually has turned out to be an almost completely "total communication" cabin, which means my girls use both oral and sign to communicate. Only one girl communicates completely by sign, and we're getting pretty well! All the girls are excited to be at camp ad love to be active. This afternoon I played field hockey and soccer with a group of 11 kiddos.
Every week there are certain program areas we have to choose an activity in. They are swimming, boating, crafts, outdoor living, nature, archery, and C.O.R.E. Today we did fire building and cooking; boys vs girls archery, and low ropes course for C.O.R.E. After we built our fire we made peanut butter and chocolate chip pudgey pies--and let me tell you, they were delicious! And in case you are wondering...the boys won at archery. Their prize: popping water balloons over all the girls' heads. Lucky misters! Low ropes was a lot of fun, too. C.O.R.E activities are all about team building and trust building. In low ropes, unlike high ropes, you rely on other people to spot you while you are on the ropes. They are close to the ground and require more thinking than high ropes. It's a great activity.
Only seven out of eight girls showed up in my cabin. They are all typical 13-15 year old girls. Many of them have been in cabins together for several years so they are already friends. They are all very helpful when I sign, especially when I do it incorrectly. You can't just be close when you sign, you have to be spot on; as my cabin mate Danielle learned last week, one drop of the hand can be the difference between "thank you" and "f* you". Almost doesn't count!
I am excited for my first camp out which will be taking place on Wednesday. We are hoofing it out to Pine Cone Point, about a quarter of the way around the lake. I am looking forward to a campfire and s'mores and some good old fashioned tent camping!
~SJ
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