Saturday, August 23, 2008

Camp: No Longer a Four-Letter-Word



After a series of unfortunate experiences, "camp" had become a four-letter-word for Sweet M.

There was that well-intentioned but understaffed day camp in Westchester County. And then there were the dangerously untrained counselors in an inclusive program at a local youth organization. And finally the camp we dropped out of before we even sent Sweet M when we learned that the camp director had posted positive evaluations of the camp at an online parenting site posing as the parent of a camper.

Sweet M would say "I don't do camp" or "don't say that word." So camp has been off the list of acceptable activities, and even of acceptable utterances.

So I didn't tell Sweet M she was going to camp. I told her she was going to the horseback riding place to do riding and other stuff. That worked -- she spent a blissful and exhausting week playing soccer, doing yoga, swimming, creating arts and crafts projects, and, best of all from her point of view, riding. She'd fall asleep at 9 with a rosy suntan and wake up at 6:30 ready to go.

On the last day parents could visit and I shot a short clip . . . Tally ho!

5 comments:

Usethebrains Godgiveyou said...

Miss M is one lucky kid!!!!! I am jealous for Ben. He did do some horseback riding ("theraputic") when he was 3, and again through a school program in 6th grade.

You have an interesting voice, you sound a lot like my sister. We were midwesterners (Nebraska) with parents of French-Canadian heritage. People said they could recognize a Brouillette by their voice...I'm jus sayin'...Do you have any French-Canadian background?

MothersVox said...

You are so observant! I don't have any French-Canadian heritage, but I live with a Quebeçois, Sweet M's father, and I'm easily influenced by others' speech patterns . . .

Can you get Ben back to therapeutic riding? I am astonished at how helpful it is proving to be for Sweet M.

Anonymous said...

i love it! how wonderful for sweet m and you and us because we get to cheer along with you in this video!

kristina said...

gives me all the more impetus to get going with camp for Charlie next summer!

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