It is so hot it's ridiculous! It's been in the 90s all week so we've switched a lot of the activities to water-based activities. Yesterday was interesting because we had two different sets of storms roll through: one during breakfast and one during dinner. And in between, blue sunny beautiful skies.
Aside from the strange weather, the week has started off on a high note. My eight campers are pretty wonderful kids. I am enjoying hanging out with them. One of the little boys in our unit (2 cabins=1 unit) is hard of hearing so I still get to practice my sign. He's so naughty but he's my little buddy!
The week is going by pretty fast. We aren't doing any camp outs because of the heat. Because I have a younger cabin we get to go to bed early, which is nice for me and for them. Our last activity for the night is always 6:20-8:20, followed by Trading Post at 8:30. During Trading Post time the campers are allowed to by one snack and one drink from the camp store. It is a nice chance to sit down together and relax after a busy day. After everyone is done eating we head down to the cabin for bed time.
I am currently facing a serious decision about what to do with the rest of my break...sleep or shower. Can I do BOTH in an hour??
~SJ
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Oh, this has got to be the good life :-)
I have to say I didn't expect it to be a whole week between posts! CD2 was amazing! This was the first week where I was honestly sad to see all of my campers go. My co-counselor JB and I had seven of the sweetest girls ever! My favorite (even though we're not supposed to have favorites) was a little darling named Lilly. Within five seconds of meeting her she grabbed my hand. Within five minutes she hugged my arm and said, "I like you." She was so adorable! She was incredibly helpful to not only staff but the other campers as well. I have an infected ear piercing right now and when I would go to the health lodge to have it looked at she would hold my hand and say, "It's okay, just relax." We also had a camper with a mobility issue who used a walker and Lilly would hold doors for here and try to help her with everything. The camper with the mobility issue, Meghan, was a sweetheart as well. She was always very positive and threw herself into every activity she could. She loved playing duck duck goose and she swam every day. She goes to school with three of the other girls in the cabin so it was a nice chance for them to hang out. They also got along great with the other three girls.
There was a lot of homesickness in the cabin. One of the girls literally asked every few minutes when she was going home and what the schedule was on Friday. This had a ripple effect and throughout the week three of the other girls would randomly get homesick and cry because they missed various family members. I felt for them, and by the end of the week I found myself being a little homesick as well. After next week I will be taking a little vacation to spend time with my family over my birthday. I am very excited to have this time with them.
The summer is already half over and I have to say that I couldn't work in a better place. Here is a list of some of the things I've been paid to do this summer:
Next week is CD3 and I will have eight of my own girls again. They are 13 and 14 years old and I am looking forward to spending a week with them. I hope everything goes well in your respective weeks as well!
~SJ
There was a lot of homesickness in the cabin. One of the girls literally asked every few minutes when she was going home and what the schedule was on Friday. This had a ripple effect and throughout the week three of the other girls would randomly get homesick and cry because they missed various family members. I felt for them, and by the end of the week I found myself being a little homesick as well. After next week I will be taking a little vacation to spend time with my family over my birthday. I am very excited to have this time with them.
The summer is already half over and I have to say that I couldn't work in a better place. Here is a list of some of the things I've been paid to do this summer:
- be pulled on an inner tube tied to a paddle boat
- go camping. 3 times
- play field hockey
- drive the John Deere gator
- build a 1-match fire
- have a dance-off
- dance to Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Disney
- build sand castles
- get some crazy cool tan lines
- go swimming
- eat candy and ice cream with kiddos every night
- make craft projects
- shoot archery
- drive a pontoon boat
- take a hay wagon ride through the forest
- run
- laugh
- play
Next week is CD3 and I will have eight of my own girls again. They are 13 and 14 years old and I am looking forward to spending a week with them. I hope everything goes well in your respective weeks as well!
~SJ
Saturday, July 9, 2011
I think it's a bug...but it's got fur...
Wow. How time flies when you're at camp. So not only are we done with DHH 1, but DHH 2 has come and gone as well. It's been a whirlwind two weeks. I had16 and 17 years olds during DHH 2. It was a small week because of the fourth of July. There were about half the amount of campers in all of camp so I only had four in my cabin. For two of them it was the last year--you age out at 17.
Camp out one during DHH 1 was really good. I got a deer tick behind my knee but one of the nursing assistants took it out. Our DHH 2 camp out at Indian Point was a blast as well. There were only three boy campers in the cabin we worked with so it was a small group. One of the boys went fishing and caught a bunch of bass. He lost his lure int he water close to shore so me being the darling I am shed my shoes and socks and waded out in my spandex shorts to retrieve it.
I will post pictures below so you get more of an idea of what I've been up to. Next week we have CD2 and I don't have any campers in my cabin so I will be a co-counselor to the Hemlocks cabin. There are 7 girls between the ages of 10 and 12. I am looking forward to the week!
My unit pal for DHH2, Morgan, and I at the Indian Point lighthouse
Me getting the camper's lure from the rope swing area.
Me busting some moves during the dance off, DHH2
Two of the counselors dressed up as flamingos for the dance
Chel and I out on the pontoon on the weeked
Amy, J-Wow, and myself at the DHH1 dance
Luke and Jake
Me being super good at archery...sort of
Hanging out in the shelter we built out of branches and downed trees
Stay tuned for more camp fun!
~SJ
Camp out one during DHH 1 was really good. I got a deer tick behind my knee but one of the nursing assistants took it out. Our DHH 2 camp out at Indian Point was a blast as well. There were only three boy campers in the cabin we worked with so it was a small group. One of the boys went fishing and caught a bunch of bass. He lost his lure int he water close to shore so me being the darling I am shed my shoes and socks and waded out in my spandex shorts to retrieve it.
I will post pictures below so you get more of an idea of what I've been up to. Next week we have CD2 and I don't have any campers in my cabin so I will be a co-counselor to the Hemlocks cabin. There are 7 girls between the ages of 10 and 12. I am looking forward to the week!
Chelsey and I at the Tropical Oasis dance, DHH2
My unit pal for DHH2, Morgan, and I at the Indian Point lighthouse
Me getting the camper's lure from the rope swing area.
Me busting some moves during the dance off, DHH2
Two of the counselors dressed up as flamingos for the dance
Chel and I out on the pontoon on the weeked
Amy, J-Wow, and myself at the DHH1 dance
Luke and Jake
Me being super good at archery...sort of
Hanging out in the shelter we built out of branches and downed trees
Stay tuned for more camp fun!~SJ
Monday, June 27, 2011
DHH 1, Day 2
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
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
Sunday, June 26, 2011
DHH 1, Day 1
It's Sunday morning. Along with the usual anticipatory feelings I get in the hours before new campers come, I am experiencing a little bit of anxiety. Today I will be getting 8 campers with medium to profound hearing loss. Some of them use both oral and sign to communicate; some only use sign. Now I know some things in sign. I can carry on a conversation with the deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) staff. But what will these campers think of me? Their parents? I am hoping to learn a lot from my girls this week, rather than be made the laugh stock, "dumb counselor that doesn't know sign." <--I can actually sign that sentence so I guess I'll know if that's what's going on!
I am excited and also very nervous for the week ahead. I just want to be able to meet the campers needs and my fear is that I won't be able to if I can't understand them. On the other hand, I was picked as one of the top three female counselors that is most prepared for an "all-deaf" cabin. So that means that other people believe I can do this and I should too. It's a great summer for stepping outside my box, challenging myself, and pushing my limits. So, here I go!
~SJ
I am excited and also very nervous for the week ahead. I just want to be able to meet the campers needs and my fear is that I won't be able to if I can't understand them. On the other hand, I was picked as one of the top three female counselors that is most prepared for an "all-deaf" cabin. So that means that other people believe I can do this and I should too. It's a great summer for stepping outside my box, challenging myself, and pushing my limits. So, here I go!
~SJ
Thursday, June 23, 2011
CD Week 1, Day 5
You might work at a summer camp if:
You swim for an hour in the morning and think to yourself, "Shower: check!"
Your boss walks in on you while you're in your underwear.
You wake up to the vocal stylings of Justin Bieber or Hannah Montana every morning.
Greetings from the end of our first youth week. It has been rainy and miserable outside everyday, but tomorrow should be nice. Too bad it's departure day!
My cabin full of 11 and 12 year olds has been interesting. I was actually pretty lucky because I probably have the highest functioning group of kids. They dress themselves, shower themselves, make their own beds without me asking, they serve themselves at dinner--in that respect this week has been a dream. The girls are all really nice kids. Even though over half of them are first timers, they've all adjusted quickly and have become fast friends, skipping around camp holding hands and such. Of course there is the typical pre-teen drama: she said this, she did that. But that comes with the territory of working with kiddos.
Bed time is frustrating. Three of the girls are little angels and go to sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. The other four are silly and giggly and apparently don't let a little thing like sleep get in the way of having fun at camp.
I will be adding more to this post tomorrow. It has been a long week, but a good one :)
Okay so when I said "tomorrow" I may have meant Sunday! Whoops!
On Friday I said goodbye to my first youth campers ever. It was bittersweet--the week can become very long. I had two girls in the cabin who were sisters, and at about 11pm on Wednesday night one knocked out the others' tooth by slamming a cabinet door on her sister's face. How do these things happen?! Get in bed and stay there! On the bright side I had a TON of fun with the girls at the dance on Thursday night. They really enjoyed themselves. It's a great time for all of us to just be silly and have fun together. It is nice for the counselors because the area the dance is in is blocked off with only one entrance/exit, so we don't have to constantly worry about where our kiddos are. They can run around and mingle with friends from other cabins and it's okay. The theme of the week was Wild West. I wish I could show you how cute some of these kiddos costumes were! Instead, here are some pictures of staff!
It rained every day last week, which was hard on the kiddos and the staff. Many of our outdoor activities became indoor activities and changed shape from something active to something passive and borderline boring. You can only color so many times. We did have a fun girls' night since we couldn't go on our camp out. We played music and painted nails and sang camp songs. It was a good time!
~SJ
You swim for an hour in the morning and think to yourself, "Shower: check!"
Your boss walks in on you while you're in your underwear.
You wake up to the vocal stylings of Justin Bieber or Hannah Montana every morning.
Greetings from the end of our first youth week. It has been rainy and miserable outside everyday, but tomorrow should be nice. Too bad it's departure day!
My cabin full of 11 and 12 year olds has been interesting. I was actually pretty lucky because I probably have the highest functioning group of kids. They dress themselves, shower themselves, make their own beds without me asking, they serve themselves at dinner--in that respect this week has been a dream. The girls are all really nice kids. Even though over half of them are first timers, they've all adjusted quickly and have become fast friends, skipping around camp holding hands and such. Of course there is the typical pre-teen drama: she said this, she did that. But that comes with the territory of working with kiddos.
Bed time is frustrating. Three of the girls are little angels and go to sleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. The other four are silly and giggly and apparently don't let a little thing like sleep get in the way of having fun at camp.
I will be adding more to this post tomorrow. It has been a long week, but a good one :)
Okay so when I said "tomorrow" I may have meant Sunday! Whoops!
On Friday I said goodbye to my first youth campers ever. It was bittersweet--the week can become very long. I had two girls in the cabin who were sisters, and at about 11pm on Wednesday night one knocked out the others' tooth by slamming a cabinet door on her sister's face. How do these things happen?! Get in bed and stay there! On the bright side I had a TON of fun with the girls at the dance on Thursday night. They really enjoyed themselves. It's a great time for all of us to just be silly and have fun together. It is nice for the counselors because the area the dance is in is blocked off with only one entrance/exit, so we don't have to constantly worry about where our kiddos are. They can run around and mingle with friends from other cabins and it's okay. The theme of the week was Wild West. I wish I could show you how cute some of these kiddos costumes were! Instead, here are some pictures of staff!
It rained every day last week, which was hard on the kiddos and the staff. Many of our outdoor activities became indoor activities and changed shape from something active to something passive and borderline boring. You can only color so many times. We did have a fun girls' night since we couldn't go on our camp out. We played music and painted nails and sang camp songs. It was a good time!
~SJ
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
CD 1, Day 3
Our first youth CD week at camp is going well! I will update more tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are some pictures of high ropes, archery, and fun in the nature center!
Teamwork!
We did it!
Archery
Nature Center adventures
More to come soon!
~SJ
Megan and I attempting to climb Giants Ladder
Teamwork!
We did it!
Archery
Nature Center adventures
More to come soon!~SJ
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