Adrenaline packed week 4...

Week 4 but technically Session 5 of the camp season and what better than Ad Rush. I hit the mid summer wall the weekend before and spent the majority of Sunday to Wednesday permanently feeling ill. I made the best of it though. Ad rush is an action based program that runs every week of camp and I wasn't about to let feeling ill stop me from having fun.

Another Bridge, Another Unit, same trickling River...

Natters, Element, Tangle, Gizmo, Aerosmith and I were sharing the unit with Mac and the CITS in Shawnee and the week was pretty Busy. Little time for girl planning. We had Caving on Tuesday which was great as always. It was an all day trip to Glade but we ended up doing it backwards in the sense we did long side first then short side after because as we entered the cave we could hear another group singing in the tea room.

I love caving. It's like when you go to a neighbourhood you drive by the entrance to all the time, but don't truly realise the enormity of the little roads and narrow paths and alleys until you slow down an explore. I've only ever done Long side in the total of the 3 times I've been. It's still as enjoyable as the first time. Despite feeling incredibly sick we had laughs, and I helped lead people back out like I had my first time. No cut knee this time just damp, muddy and sore. We ate lunch outside before going back in for short side, where we sat as the kids played in the playground, laughing and joking.

Thursday was awesome too. We went white water Rafting and it was awesome! We floated down the river all day in rafts, riding the rapids the river had created because of all the heavy rain. Luckily we had a lovely day for it. We got to play in the rapids and float down out of the rafts as well as take a few swings into the river on a tree rope swing. It was awesome. Derrick gave us a history lesson as we floated the last stretch of the day . It was great.

Friday night was a welcomed escape. Mama Galaxy whisked her lovely daughter and her friends; Mo, Mac and I back to Maryland for a weekend away. We all slept like logs and woke late the next day. Mo and I rising, followed by Mac. We had to wake Galaxy. We spent the day thrifting, venturing into Trader Joe's
(LOVE LOVE LOVE) as well as having Calzone which was amazing. We also decided to get something pierced. It's a summer thing? So I got my nose pierced. We spent the evening curled up on the sofa watching films eating Trader Joe's yummys.

Couldn't have asked for a better weekend...

Glamorous Gals of Week 3...

Week 3... Gone Glamping. 11 Campers,  the same staff, with the exception of the swap around of Meep for Aerosmith, and we were ready and raring to go! We were all ready and raring to go to make the most of the last week we'd all be living together.

Gone Glamping Staff

We did the usual antics, arts and crafts where, as always we realised the campers are far more creative and artistic than we are, we made friendship bracelets, we went to pool everyday. One of our evening pool sessions saw Splash joining in and me getting soaked. While we were up at the showers that familiar sound of Thunder and rain rang out through the trees so we ended up joining in with a Dance party that was going on. 

The rain carried on for quite a while before we could take the kids back up to the unit. We also had FOB everyday and Challenge course, Lawn initiatives and Tower. Lawn initiatives I find is always a great way to finalise those names you're not quite sure of and Boone are normally great fun. What would Glamping be without their own dance party in the hall either? Accompanied with pudding snacks as well as another unit and of course...One Direction songs.

Wednesday is always cookout and this week Pizza Bagels, mac and cheese and Garlic bread were on the menu. Carbs overload! Billie created a great looking fire (she's one ace fire starter). And once they'd eaten and we'd told them the kitchen had forgotten to give us dessert we announced a kitchen raid was to be planned. After applying fire ashes as war paint it was peanut better jelly time. Kitchen raids are pretty cool, all the kids can get involved, Admin are on patrol and the counselors 'steal' what they can to give everyone dessert. We ended up hiding under tables sprinting through kitchens and hiding back in the unit ready for dough boys.

Thursday was Princess Ninja 'Prinja' day. We all had to dress up as a princess, a ninja or both. That was fun to do. Sinewa is often the subject of 'Snowman on the Bridge' Walkie Calls and it didnt stop for any Ninja or Princess alike. So Acorn and Jurassic appeared net in hand on the golf kart ready to catch Houdini. Lets just say Houdini had more stealth than these ninjas.

That night it rained heavily. So heavily that it was a waiting game as to whether or not we would be evacuated. I was in my Pyjamas, most of the sinew staff were in the Unit house with the exception of a few in Buddhas unit. I was running back and forth checking on the kids, gradually getting more and more soaked. I'd initially set off earlier to take the trash to the compacter when I realised the whole of Sinewa road was flooded. We ended up shuttled both Sinewa and Shawnee staff and campers from the units to the dining hall. This included shoving bedding in bags and me being wetter than the ground. 

We all slept in the dining hall that night. Hanging glow sticks from the rafters and singing slow camp songs at past midnight to soothe the kids. The counselors then slept in the middle of the dining hall on a parachute. A glamorous experience. 

Climbing through week 2...

Going from 24 campers to 9 was quieting to say the least. I'd now moved over to Sinewa for the next two weeks and I joined Billie, Sawce, Belle and Aerosmith in out platform tent beside the river. The week was pretty awesome to say the least.

Being Climbers we had an extended amount to time and the Climbing wall (win) and the kids loved it. We also ended up having our own water fight that was infiltrated by Wild about Water who were hosting a sing a long car wash. So sponges and water logged balls were thrown, water was tipped over counselors heads and war paint was applied by said campers.

Due to poor weather we unfortunately didn't get to climb Eagle Rock, However we did learn to tie knots with  Lasso as well as climb Frontier Rock. Because we were such a small group it was easy to get along and joke, the kids spent the whole week trying to work out our real names, we had them convinced at one point I was engaged to Benedict Cumberbatch; there was also banter- the British accent vs the American accent where myself and a camper swapped accents for meal times. Mine was awful to say the least.

Becuase we were a half unit, Buddha took up the other half with her group and it was her birthday that week. So she threw herself a party with her campers complete with hats and party games as well as a makeshift cake (chocolate pudding, Graham crackers and marshmallow). This was while we were making ice cream in a bag/friendship bracelets so we all ended up moving around and sharing.

We also made an obstacle course for the kids where you are blindfolded and you feel your away around the course or a buddy guides you verbally. This was quite fun. We would use pool noodles to tease them or 'scare' them. They found it enjoyable. Suddenly though a young bear came out of the woods. It wasn't really doing anything, Billie took the girls inside as Lasso, Brit and I jumped around making noise. Luckily there was a dance party going on in the Dining hall so noise was already being made. The bear didn't really seem to care about any of us. Red ran from behind us down the green as Luna, Dancer and Galaxy moved towards the staff house. Splash and Luce ran from Macy over the the bear who was now disappearing behind the old Archery range. We then ended up staying up in the dining hall for a little longer. I think we got away with it without too many seeing the bear itself.

The Thursday of that week welcomed Superhero day as well as the 4th of July. There was a whole host of superhero who descended on camp that Thursday, including the whole cast of Batman, Iron man, Captain America and The Powerpuff girls of Sinewa. We had a mini party on the green before dinner, giving the kid their mail and all receiving glasses and lies in the patriotic spirit. On the Friday all camp was a 4th of July festival where Mo, Ruggers and Myself ended up giving hair wraps as well as watching Admin get dunked in the pool, counselors get cream pies to the face as well as face painting and watermelon spitting.

That Friday night we were hanging out in the other staff tent in Sinewa when at Atlas moth got stuck in the rafters. We spent a good 45 minutes trying to move it out of the tent. Galaxy ended up getting it down as we watched and placed it under her box. She then managed to get it outside and we watched as it fluttered around the lamp post. We spent most of that evening laughing and joking  with each other, before retiring back to our tent for sleep. Sleep is scarce at camp, even when you seem to have the chance to go to bed early. Good Company tends to do that...

That Saturday was the weekend between our first two week programme. So we hosted a party. Mac, Mo Galaxy and I were all stood up by the laundry room as I washed everything I owned while stood in my pyjamas when splash grabbed us to help set up BBQ bits, put soda in coolers and decorate the singing benches and surrounding area with Stars and Strips. Boone Squad also ended up setting up an awesome slip and slide before grabbing food and all going down to a pool party as life guarded by Splash. Later that afternoon groups dispersed to town before new adventures with incoming the next day.