Chasing Bluebirds

Sleep away camp: Wintaka time!!

My kids just returned from "sleep away camp", this is Emily's 6th year and Lizzies 3rd. I find it interesting how many of my friends are too scared to send their kids to camp, worried that something horrible might happen. Having gone to camp every summer since I was going into third grade, I couldn't wait to send my kids. I don't look forward to them being away, not at all, but I enjoy giving them this most magical opportunity. It is an amazing gift to give your kids a camp experience, I know personally that camp was one of the most important experiences of my life. It gave me an independence I never would have had without it. Here are a few things I have learned about sleep away camp:

1) Kids are forced to work out their squabbles. You can't get away from your bunkmates, you are together 24/7 for a week. If there is an argument, you must face it and work it out. This is something that doesn't happen at home with your school friends. You don't get to go home, talk with your folks, find a new friend etc etc. You work it out. What a great life skill! The roller coaster of being friends, getting on each others nerves, bickering, working it out and being best friends again brings kids closer together in a week than in years of going to school together. I remember truly "loving" my camp friends on a very deep level, which I still have today! School friends, not as deep.

2) Kids learn to be away from their parents, that it's ok to miss them. A whole week away seems like a long long time to kids and I think it's important for them to trust other adults to care for them. I also like that other adults are disciplining them and teaching them new things. It takes a village to raise a kid, I truly believe that! (It's also good for parents to let their kids go a tiny bit too, so hard sometimes!!)

3) Kids learn to follow a schedule, to do their daily activities (like brushing teeth, brushing hair, getting dressed) on their own. They follow the routine which includes meals, activities, getting ready for bed, sleeping... managing their time in a way they don't have to at home. I remember becoming very aware of how long an hour activity is, the time it took to walk down the hill to the lodge, being aware of the dinner bell ringing, watching the sun go down and knowing how much daylight was left. There is something about camp, without parents around, that teaches a kid to pay attention to details they take for granted at home.

4) Kids will look up to their counselors and want to be like them intensely. I remember falling in love with my counselors and I just could not wait to be one too! This is a totally different feeling than loving your parents. It is magical and more effective than being told "this is what you should do when you grow up." They see their counselor up there singing and they want to do that too. It is powerful stuff even though it seems so simple.

5) Last, sleep away camp FEELS so much more exciting than it really is. It is safe, organized and pretty routine, but to a kid it's like a trip to the moon. 

heading to camp, so excited!!

Returning from camp energized and happy, priceless!

camp wasewagan

most of my camp fire kids had conflicts with our second trip to camp wasewagan (the camp next to yallani) so i had just three rascals to hang out with last weekend. we weren't sure what to expect this time of year, last time it was november which was cold but no snow. there's something about snow that makes kids go crazy and mine spent every waking hour making a snowman and having snowball fights. here is our cool cabin:

the weekend was designed to have discovery level kids from our councils mingle together and work on activities challenging them in areas of trust and communication. i was in charge of an orienteering (sp???) nature walk where groups of kids wrote up a path using a compass (pacing and putting out markers for guidance) and then the groups rotated to follow the paths the other groups mapped out. it was FUN! and the kids (including me) really learned how to use a compass.
up behind the camp was another deserted camp with retro cabins that i became obsessed with

really fascinating... old style like i used to camp in. wasewagan cabins are heated and can be used year round which is great but my heart loves these old tent/cabins too!
here is our little pack of discovery kids
and the snowman that took two days to build
and a trend my daughter started:
tails to go with their animal hats!! :)

camp wasewagan... link to camp yallani

for years i have heard about camp wasewagan (at leader meetings), a place we would go to in 4th or 5h grade... but little did i know it was the sister camp to camp yallani. that long lost camp i attended for many summers, working in the kitchen and as a counselor, a life guard and an archery instructor. camp yallani was one of the most defining experiences of my life, something i think of so much it's crazy. i take parenting too seriously, thinking hard about it and wondering how i can make the most of the responsibility i have for my girls, wonder if camp yallani was a clue to my life. going to camp is such a gift, teaching kids to get along and work together on a really nitty gritty level, getting dirty, playing and being in the world of nature. really, it's easy. just send them off... but how many parents do it? not enough. so back to wasewagan... i was stunned when i realized it was the camp next to camp yallani. all these years wondering what happened to yallani and here i am going up to it's sister camp. the one we stole off to, visiting the staff on the sly. i remember there were tv's and record players to investigate, all the wonderful things a teenager loves. new boys, new faces... spending 12 weeks a summer at camp, new was good. >

the caretakers cabin in all its glory!! sooooo, wasewagan with the girls was an adventure
driving fast on curves with chris' truck, fun times!
redwoods
the same river i spent many summers splashing in
my girls hanging at my "mosaic" booth, the craft that will not die!!

food, fabulous food!
leading songs
so i got out my google maps and found out camp yallani was .4 miles away, yes we hiked through trees, brush, crossed ravines... and found it!
the camp that so many years ago changed my life in so many ways...
the old ropes course left from years past...
ahhhh camp yallani! and what a weekend it was!




so what an amazing trip... past and present mixed just right.

a cleaver christmas party

we finally got to cleaver's annual christmas party (i think we have missed a few years in a row) the girls were cute and helpful, they really love cleaver

lots of yummy snacks, great music, some cool "artist friend" art, cleaver's pad always delivers. so glad we could make it this year, even though we had to leave early, passing crowds of arriving guests as we headed to our car and off to bed. the girls both fell asleep on the way home. today is lizzies arts and craft birthday party, stay tuned!

camp yallani the next generation

i found this camp yallani t shirt (the one i took for my future kids when i was a camp counselor at camp yallani) while cleaning out some clothes at the cabin. fits lizzie perfect (and with it, the first piece of clothing i ever made for my kids, the skirt made from a pillow case). i am being reminded daily how fast my kids are growing up, soon this t shirt and skirt won't fit liz and then i will be packing them away for future grand babies. how weird to think about that? in two weeks emily will be heading off to camp wintaka, her first time at sleep away camp, a full week. i have no doubt it will change her life in so many ways. this girl is such a joy, so chatty and full of interesting ideas, trying hard to be a good sister (i know its tough sometimes!) she is so brave and creative, willing to try anything. holding on to a wonderful weekend long gone, heading into a long work week, hoping this summer will open up a little and let me soak up some down time. i think it will happen soon. 

(the girls are on the green valley lake home page, riding the ponies, click the gvl link on the right)

Cleaver gets married!

did i mention that cleaver is really "leslie" and she married a "chris"?? they have also been together almost exactly the same amount of time as we have, within months. this was their wedding program, pretty unique i would say.

the happy couple! my camera went buggy

pogo and cleaver... i am looking a bit peasanty... cleaver is glammed up. fun times for all! congrats bif and cleaver!

our "make your own barbie clothes" meeting

another success! tonight we had our special guest "Cleaver" my camp buddy from camp yallani. we have known each other for 25 years now! our meeting finished up our talk about water and air pollution, energy and alternative resources and of course our wetlands project (we are finally officially signing up).

lessons with Cleaver

finished products

and amazingly enough, we managed to do a pinecone birdfeeder craft as well....my moms really help out!

ok, now, emily made a coordinating purse and has this doll got style or what??? proud mama here!
thanks Cleaver!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

pogo loves anna

beautiful anna, living somewhere in spain with two kids (the last time i spoke with her) she speaks only spanish now...from camp yallani to a renovated farm house in spain...sounds like the good life to me!

the kitchen crew

my first year at camp yallani, i was a kitchen steward which was really a dishwasher and helper with kitchen prep. my parents bought me a walkman, an original cassette loaded walkman that used up about a dozen batteries a week. i played tears for fears the hurting over and over while i pushed dishes through the sterilizer. this was the grossest and funnest job i ever had. i met cleaver, gotta (who is the legend kevin lyman, creator of the warp tour...man he owes me some free tickets!) and anna (whom i found recently, living in spain... lovely!) my core favorite people...oh and scooter... who was the coolest most stylish person ever.

cleaver left me high and dry in the kitchen, she became a counselor a year before me.

gotta and louie

my favorite camp yallani shot, these are three camp counselors (scooter,digger and soda)...clowning around while a camper lays on the ground behind them. you just have to wonder why that kid is on the ground, and why the counselors are not paying attention. as a parent, of course i notice this more now.

when i went away to camp each summer, i worked about 10 weeks out of the 12. each week a different group of campers came up, at least two or three were camp fire but some were from other organizations that rented it out. two weeks a summer we had mentally handicapped campers and i can tell you i learned a lot those weeks! we had so many funny things happen and so many humbling things also. as a teenager, of course i made fun of some of these guys, but overall i learned compassion for people who are different. it was a priceless experience...something that influenced my choice of psychology as a degree i am sure.

cleaver in the kitchen

cleaver!

here is the kitchen crew...fun girls!

pogo loves cleaver

memories of camp yallani...my best friend CLEAVER is still my most favorite person in the whole world. we shared summer after summer of dishwashing, cooking in the kitchen and finally, camp counselors...growing up at camp yallani. this was hands down the most memorable time of my teen life. it kept me out of big time trouble and i made the most lasting friendship of my life...can't tell her enough how special she is. now if i can just find those camp pictures!!! stay tuned for more.

some pictures found! :)