Monday: We arrived around 10 and were assigned cabins. I did not end up with any girls from our school in my cabin, but instead ended up with quite a sassy bunch of girls from two other schools. I knew I was in for it when at the first big group meeting one of our girls got sent to the side for talking. She happened to be the daughter of my co-chaperone. We did have a third woman in the cabin with us but she was basically non existent in helping with anything so for blog sake it is easier to just pretend she wasn't there. It's hard to describe my co-chaperone. But she's the type when you meet her you know exactly who she reminds you of. The bleach blond hair with a previous smokers/partier voice that now lives off of her children's lives. It's isn't that we didn't get along. She is just lucky I am adaptable.
I have to say I am SO glad I was there with Bailey. This was a super culture shock for most of the MMCA kids because they live in a Rocklin conservative bubble. This is why we love the school:) But there were kids from all over Sacramento who came from many different backgrounds. Some of their behavior was pretty foreign to our kids. I had a lot of them talk to me about it throughout the week. But they survived! Bailey had a deer in headlights face for two days. It was that same face he had when he was first born, and the same face he gets when he is super nervous. It was all I could do to just let him work through it and only be there for support when needed. He broke down into tears three times that week and it about killed me. But he came through it!
This was one of the times when he was so jazzed. Game night was a bunch of relay races (which he smoked everyone, our little runner) and tug of war competitions which his team beat everyone. I wish I had gotten a picture of my cabin competing. We beat everyone as well. I was crazy coach barking at them all to get low and tug...it worked.
We were the first group to do the Night Hike, which was more like twilight hike because it stays light so late. Our hike leader was Monica (I got to be with Bailey in this group for the week)
Bailey, Cole and Prassad were assigned buddies and cabin mates for the week thank goodness! I was a little worried about Cole's dad as the chaperone. I've known him for six years and he's an odd duck. But I do have to say he was AMAZING as a chaperone. The other leader Oscar was also so wonderful and great with the boys.
We were the only group who got to roast marshmallows.
Tuesday: The first full day and the hardest for me. It felt like this week would drag forever. The girls in the cabin were mentally exhausting and I really wanted my own bed. We had to get them ready for a skit that night and that took lots of my mom skills of negotiation:)
Tuesday in the animal room. Pretty much every animal that scared me was in this room. I hid in a corner. Bailey was in heaven
This was his favorite animal to hold. Corny the cornsnake. Ick!
He didn't actually care for the rabbits because they were super jumpy. He got scratched later in the week (this was crying episode #2)
Later that day we did our first big hike. It was STEEP. Which means the way down was hard but the way up was harder. Some of the parents and kids had a super hard time with it. I am grateful I get my behind kicked three times a week or more at Guiding Fitness because it didn't phase me. Bailey did awesome as well. I'm glad we had a family starter hike earlier that month.
They all got to take their shoes off and play.
He humored me and took a picture together.
Wednesday: By this time I was in the swing of things. The girls in my cabin were having me braid their hair and were telling all the other cabins that they had the best cabin leaders. I had girls coming up to me saying they wished they were with us in the Manzanita cabin. I think it came down to the fact that we set rules for them and made them follow them but still could be silly and have fun.
My co chaperone, Michelle and one of the girls in our cabin. We all took turns serving in the kitchen. I don't have a picture of me at lunchtime, but I stuffed hundreds of chicken tacos!
More of our girls
Ms. Serious Trouble maker right here. This is the girl I made go back after we got in line for breakfast and change her shirt. No one wants to see an "I Love Boobies" shirt whether it supports breast cancer or not. Somehow by the end of the week she still liked me, especially when I made the nurses listen to her about her ankle problem. Let's just say I prevented her parents form being ticked when she got home.
Thursday: I
wish I had taken more pictures of the lake hike. It was awesome, even if
it was 5 miles! I feel bad for the parents who went on the shorter
steep hike and bailed because they thought this would be too hard.
Bailey's first real smile of the week! It wasn't that he wasn't having fun but he usually shows little emotion (like father like son) even when things are awesome.
The Manzanita cabin on the last day. I got lots of hugs and tears when I left. I was not feeling the crying thing, but it was sweet that the girls had so much fun.
Friday was a short day. We were all tired and worn out.
Robyn Garcia (Bailey's science teacher), Marie Zambrana (a last minute sub for another chaperone! which was awesome because she and I are pretty good friends). Marie brought up some extra matching t shirts for us to use for the silk screening in arts and crafts. I think we look exhausted in this picture but happy to go home!
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