Then I started going through the paperwork of what to bring and hearing the 'tips' from seasoned camp moms - and that's when I got a little worried. Not about Kirstin or camp really, but about the potential amount of sand that would be coming home (they are swimming at the local 'beach' some days), packing a lunch everyday (how many ice packs does it take to keep a lunch cool in Kansas in the summer?), and what exactly would the contents of a 6-year-old-who-spent-her-day-with-nature's backpack look like?!
After pondering all that (and more) I decided that could all make one for one not-so-fun summer for mom... Or, I could just ignore that and go back to that first part about all the fun stuff. So I made myself a mental list of 'summer rules'.
1) I will not freak out about the sand dumped out of shoes into my entryway. That will remind me that Kirstin spent her afternoon playing on the beach with her friends.
2) The creek shoes (or wet swimsuit and towel) might be gross to pull out of the bag, but they will remind me of so many summer days spent playing in the creek while I was growing up - memories that are special treasures now. (I'm also thankful so far pretty much everything has made it into the extra bag for wet stuff I sent along.)
3) The dirty, sno-cone stained shirt and shorts might never come clean in the end, but they were $5 from old navy - I was planning for this when I bought them. I'll remind myself that I actually like the idea of my girly-girl playing in the dirt and findings bugs and worms - and she is enjoying it too.
4) I might be tired and stressed at the end of the day when I pick her up, but if she's excited to show me the sandbox or forts they built (or other particular feat that was accomplished during camp that day), I will trek down the path with her (in my heels no less) and ooh and ahh proudly at the masterful fort building. Again, how many recesses did we spend at St. John's building forts in the trees? This is good stuff.
5) When we 'lose' a jacket, water bottle, and sunscreen all in the first week of camp (yes they were all labeled with her name!), I'll gain a new appreciation for lost and found (amazingly, all found!), and remind myself to compliment her on the days she does remember everything (placing my bets on positive reinforcement).
6) I will not get upset when I open the lunch box to find a half-eaten pudding cup that was 'saved for later in case I got hungry'. You can imagine what that looked like. She was planning ahead, right? A run through the sink for cleanup and a request to 'just throw the open pudding away next time - they have snacks at camp' will do. Now 'what yummy lunch are we packing for tomorrow?' - reminding her to pick out items from all food groups and smiling inwardly that a simple peanut butter sandwich still makes her happy. (We are halfway through summer and still she's having a daily pb sandwich - no 'j'.)
And how am I doing so far on my 'rules'? I'm proud to say pretty well actually. (The pudding thing almost got me, I'll admit.)
So this is the picture that has come to define summer camp for me - a daily backpack of dirt, sand, wet clothes and all - and reminds me to smile anyway and think about the fun that went into creating this mess.
My conclusion is that summer camp for Kirstin has also been a good thing for mommy - you only have one summer being six, better make the most of it. You also only have one summer when you're 32 - might as well make the most of that one too.
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