sometimes you get a virtuoso at camp...

wordless wednesday

campsick, but home...

We're home and while it's really, really nice to be sleeping in my own bed with just one other person who actually belongs there (instead of two very incredibly kicky little girls), I'm a little campsick for the late night wine and Weeds sessions we counselors indulged in most nights of camp.

Tomorrow begins another week where the kids are at home without camp to go to. I'm not sure how I came up with the brilliant notion that because I wasn't working, the kids would love to hang out with me day in and out and not be totally bored or tempted to chew each other's feet off. Or even, I'm not sure why after so many years of parenthood, it didn't occur to me that I'd begin losing tiny fragments of my mind trying to diffuse ridiculous and constant arguments between said bored kids while also trying to find myself a job.

But as my mentor Scarlett O. says, "There's always tomorrow," and I will come up with a grand old gameplan of activities for camp that will involve some rest-time for resume sending.

Maybe I'll even make them wear their Camp Runamucka shirts--just to get into the spirit of things.

joey and joe are quite a load for boomer the kangaroo...

wordless wednesday

camp mail from sam...

Hey everyone,

Camp is fun. We get to do a lot of sports. There have been a few injuries, but Aunt Natalie made us some casts. Naomi and Tali got one, too, though they didn't really get hurt.



























We tried to make friendship bracelets, but nobody could finish them because they were too hard. We did go sailing twice, and my dad made us call him Captain and salute him for days.

There are a lot of cousins here. We're having fun hanging out with each other.

And did you know that in Madison, the zoo is free? Except that I had to be the turtle.

The only thing lacking is a bathtime. I don't mind it, but Naomi sure has some dirty legs.

And at the end of the day, just before Taps, we all relax with a big glass of milk--Wisconsin style.

Wish you were here, but there's really not a lot of room.

-Sam

camp runamucka, we love you...

We're in Madison attending Camp Runamucka, 2009 and we're having a great time, wish you were here, and aren't homesick at all yet, even though really we're pretty much the first campers here and camp hasn't quite runamuck yet.

Madison really is a great little city. The kids and I spent the day with Becky and Ben at Goodman Pool while Boaz and Dick took the architectural tour of the city. Then as a larger group we had brats, beer, and brownies and played chess with Playmobile figures. Tonight Becky and I may sneak out of our cabin to the local bar which is apparently only 32 feet away from her front door (location, location, location).

Unfortunately my camera seems to be broken so you'll have to make do with this stock photo of Camp Runamuck, though our camp admits girls as well, obviously. (Did you know that there was a tv show in the 60s called "Camp Runamuck?" Isn't it amazing what you can learn from Google?) But I'll hijack some photos from the Princess as soon as we remember to take some.

Wish you were here...

getting ready for camp runamucka...

wordless wednesday...

david is a camper, too...

So I was going to post again about Sarah Palin and how my obsession is driving me (and everyone around me) insane, but I just got back from a really good run and I reread my post and was annoyed by the fact that I can't get her off my mind so I'm totally ignoring that whole post I already wrote. (I hope that I can control myself from posting it tomorrow, though...)

So in an effort to remember the PSP (pre-Sarah Palin) days, I'll share a video taken from our good old Camp Runamucka days.

Someone needs to stop me from shooting video sideways...

what we didn't do...

Camp is over tomorrow morning and cousin sister Becky and I are sitting at the dining room table with large glasses of wine and talking about how short our visit was and realizing that there is a whole list of things we didn't get a chance to do.



Here they are:

We didn't get our night out sans kids. It was a result of babysitter scheduling conflicts and also wanting to spend time with family, but we did really want a chance to talk grown-up style (for those of you without kids, that simply means having an uninterrupted and uncensored conversation).

We didn't have our banquet awards ceremony. This is where we ceremoniously award each other camper awards hand drawn on paper plates. One year when we were about ten years old, Becky and I awarded each other about twenty blank plates before anyone ever noticed. They weren't so happy when they did realize that we were hogging the stage.

We didn't have any successful shopping trips. That is pretty much an impossible feat with four children under eight. And in fact, we had a very impossible shopping trip today where I stopped at two stores on State Street to purchase a Badger sweatshirt, something that I've wanted to buy every single time I've been to Madison. Pretty much the scene where Becky, the 60+ year old saleslady, and I are all chasing Tali and Naomi through the store was not a very happy scene.

I did not buy a UW Badger sweatshirt. As I mentioned, for some really irrational reason, I really want a Badger sweatshirt. I've always wanted one because Madison is such a nostalgic place for me. Oh well, there's always next time.

I didn't eat a Brat. That seemed like such a Wisconsin thing. But Becky is assuring me that this is a good thing.

I did not get enough time with my family. I hate the night before departure. I always feel sad about leaving and about having to miss my family again. We all had such a great time and I love hanging out with my cousin sister princess cousin Becky.

Oops, forgot to buy the Co-Jack for Boaz. How can you not love a cheese called Co-Jack? Even if you really love it for its name???

See you later Wisconsin... We will definitely be back.

another letter from camp...

Camp is fun. I like it a lot.

Except that I may be losing my mind a little.

I held off posting for a few days because I couldn't find the USB cable to load my many, many photos and then tonight, whilst hoping that someone in Princess Mikkimoto's building left their wifi unsecure, I had this thought that wouldn't it be funny if I'd very conscientiously tied up the cable with my power cord in order not to lose it and it was right there?

And it was.

I am very lame.

So here I am... Ready to post some photos about our many Camp Runamucka adventures.

Pretty much, camp looks a lot like this:

But in between this, we have seen lots of cousins...

And because we were the adults, we made our brood wear homemade camp t-shirts that we made about 20 seconds before we stuffed them in them. It would've been nice if we'd stopped long enough to read the directions on the transfer decals, which we'd assumed were really just a repeat of common sense.

However, it seems that common sense was something lacking in our camp administration. The first person to figure out what is wrong with this photo will win their very own Camp Runamucka 2008 t-shirt!

However, we only have the shirts in size 2-4. No matter... We made the kids wear them, anyway!

As usual, there has also been a lot of eating...

And there's no better way to rally the troops than to get them involved in some good old fashioned Tupperware organizing.

So that's all from camp today! Tune in tomorrow for some more exciting adventures...

camp runamucka is very, very, very fulfilling...

wordless wednesday...

postcard from camp runamucka...

Dear Moms and Dads,

Camp is great. I love it here and am not homesick. Yet.
Here is what I've been doing.

Love,
Amy