Even though I got back at 1:30 am the night before I woke up early to go meet my new cabin of Choctaw girls. Instead of the sixteen year olds I had when I left, I now had a band of hyper, loud, precious, spastic eleven year old children.
It was so good to get back to the Green Cathedral on Monday. I have a new view from the front section and it's cool to experience it through the eyes of my girls.
Coming back to resident camp means that I'm not teaching clinics for the first time this summer. I start teaching clay clinic with Abby. We have awesome kids and I love that they get to be creative and get their hands dirty and think outside the box.
I'm teaching hip-hop clinic second period and beyond excited to be doing it with Brunner and Jamie Z. It's always been my favorite clinic to teach and I'm so excited for our crew of kids this week.
Then I go back to the CAC for friendship bracelets clinic with Arielle and Ellyn. We told our kids about the Friendship Bracelet Club and pumped them up to make their own bracelets this week.
Obviously there are so many things I love about CILTs but one thing I miss out on is getting to see the other counselors all morning long. It's so fun this week to be right by Mary Brody and Burke as they teach mask making. Whether they're sharing snacks, dance moves or conversation I'm always glad that they're around.
Ellyn is here working resident camp and I love that we get to be counselors together. It seems like not that long ago she was in the Longhouse as a CILT herself and even though years have passed she's still obsessed with camp and teaching people the E-L-L-Y-N song.
I love that little Caroline, an old camper of mine, is here this week. I missed friends like Brunner, Burke, Kata, Chrissy and Kendall while I was away and am so glad I'm back with them now.
And oh boy did I miss Arielle face. Life just isn't the same without her. Thankfully we're still in the Longhouse together but it's weird that this is the first week in two summers that we're not partners.
I'm excited to get to know our girls better--Kylie, Tessa, Izzy, Lexi, Julia, Caroline, Erin, Cami, Grace and Lindsey.
During swim time I finally got to find some of my favorite girls that are now Warriors. I love Olivia Benz so much and have become friends with Maggie Murin through her older sister Abby. I was so excited to see Caroline, an old River kid too.
Life is just so good here. Playing in the pool with your campers, running into friends like Annie Fazzio, getting to play with Baby Lincoln and soaking up as much Tecumseh and chlorine and fun and bug juice as I can.
I found this sign today. I really support it.
I got to take three of my girls on trail rides Monday afternoon. They're all about horses. Lindsey got to ride on Bunny, a giant horse, and the other girls were so excited to direct their horses.
We had pool zumba and got our girls to both have a workout and have an extreme amount of fun.
I don't think I'll ever get over just how great camp friends are. I love that I've gotten to spend two weeks with so many of them when they were campers and then I get to become co-counselors with them as they get their own groups of girls. Both Molly Henry and Kendall have such special spots in my heart.
Dinner was such a party... fitting seeing as how we dine in the Party Room.
After learning the Blazer cheer we got all the Blazer girls to play games like Human Ladder...
and Chicken in a Coop Camp T style.
Even all the counselors love playing games.
At this point in the summer we have a lot of friendship bracelet swag.
Tuesday morning clinics were so fun again and I loved just being with fun kids and fun friends.
Finally on the way to the lake I got to see Maddie and Rain, two Pathfinders I had when they were Blazers. They were in one of my favorite cabins ever and I love that we've managed to stay close as they've grown up. I can't believe they're already Torchbearers.
Peanut came to lake time and it was so fun to be reunited with her.
My girls had sandcastle time and we made some pretty sweet sand sculptures all together.
It's so fun to see them get really into their project and be weird and goofy with each other.
Oh and I really missed Alli Kenney too, so much. I love seeing her here because she's happier here than anywhere else in the world and it's so easy to see joy shining out of her.
They win. Yep.
On the way to pop stop I found the last two Pathfinder girls I'd been searching for. Kiersten and Ryan were never actually in my cabin but we've been friends since they were with Lily way back in Fox. This pair is ridiculously fun--at 9 years old they were obsessed with JT's Dead and Gone and never fail to entertain me. I love that they're here this week.
