DS11 went off to week long Boy Scout camp last Sunday. (That's him in the front row with his hands in his pockets and the neon green laces.) Actually I drove him. That's why I'm in the picture. (Back row, right side.) They take a picture of the whole group before they start out "just in case". That's also why they travel in uniform, so if there is a crash on the way the BSA insurance will cover registered boys in uniform. Very macabre when you understand the motivation behind the photo. The boys are just excited to get going on their trip. So I drove my son, another scout, and a recent graduated scout. We also had their respective day packs and a "care package" for two other graduated scouts who serve on staff at the camp. (Three cases of cookies, a Portillo's Chocolate cake, a supply of batteries from WalMart, and a walking stick. No wonder my kids complain when they go to camp. All I ever send them is e-mail with pencil games.) It's a 4 hour drive that our caravan stretched out to 6 with a stop at Culver's for lunch at 11am. So far everything seems chill and luxurious. Then the vibe shifts dramatically. When we arrived at camp they made us do a mile long hike during the hottest time of day with all the boys and adult leaders carrying at least some of their gear across sandy, wood-chippy trails ending with an uphill / downhill hike to the waterfront. (Technically, I volunteered but the rest of them were required.) It was very hot and very tiring. Two hours after that they had dinner. Two hours after that they played capture the flag. Two hours after that I got a phone call that he was being treated in a local ER for suspected concussion due to an elbow to the head injury which induced vomiting. He's a puker! He's always been a puker! He started puking day 3 of his life and hasn't looked back. OK I know they have to cover their bases and get him checked out. I'm glad they ruled out concussion, he passed the vision test, and the X-ray of his face showed no damage to the facial bones. I'm not so glad they started pumping anti-nausea and pain meds into his much depleted stomach but the boy does need to learn to eat fortifying food. I was just home from the return trip of the drive for about 20 minutes when the first phone calls started coming. And here I thought it was going to be a restful week. They sent me a phone picture of him the next day. His face is swollen and under his eye you can see the bruise starting to form. It's a little depressing and worrisome. But I knew there were 4 experienced dads watching over him as well as the camp staff. I knew parents are never brought in except in extreme cases. (4 summers on camp staff myself, including one in the infirmary, prepared me quite well to be the parent this time around.) Still, I could think of some program enhancements that might improve the odds of avoiding such an injury.
A week goes by and my boy comes home. So far this is all I know of what has gone on because the wonderful scout dads watching over him cut off communication with me on Tuesday. (Not complaining. I know how challenging 24/7 child care is and I've never done that with 11 boys in the woods.) When he does arrive he tells me what he did the rest of the time. It's quite impressive especially given he had been functioning at less than 100% all week. I guess when you give boys boy stuff to do they really get into it. A lesson for this homeschooling mom to either build more boy stuff into our days or just let him go whole hog with the BSA. My kids have a tradition of bringing home souvenirs from camp. Here's a list of what my "is he really growing up that fast" son brought home from this week. 5 newly started and completed merit badges (1st Aid, Kayaking, Archery, Wood Carving, & Rocket Science)
4 personal injuries / medical conditions (black eye, vomiting, arrow in foot, arrow in eye) 3 pairs of shoes even though he only took one up 2 Wisconsin wood ticks in his laundry 1 new scout rank: "Tenderfoot". The picture below is him on the way out of camp. I may be seeing things but I think he looks a bit taller, stronger, and tougher than he did in the departure picture taken a week earlier.
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Brenda G.Enjoying the journey through my kids' childhood as a home educating mom. (And no, I don't have time for a blog but sometimes you just gotta write.) Archives
April 2019
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