Sleep-away summer camp is a rite of passage for many kids. I have fond memories of the friends I made, swimming in lakes, sing-alongs, and more when I attended summer camp in my youth. Lucas and Henry had the opportunity to experience those things at sleep-away camp this summer.
Lucas attended the Mountain camp in Highlands North Carolina with two of the friends he made in Ecuador. He went for two weeks with other boys and girls ages 12-14.
Lucas was homesick for the first few days, but when we picked him up at the end, he said he had a great time. Lucas bonded with his cabin mates. He still talks about camp with his friend Neyo. The camp activities included white water rafting and rock climbing. The campers played capture the flag and other outdoor games. Many campers brought musical instruments and performed.
Henry went to Camp Kanuga in Hendersonville, North Carolina. We enrolled him in a 1-week starter camp for new campers.
We thought Henry might be too young for sleep-away camp, but he was not. As soon as we settled him into his bunk, he kindly asked us to leave so he could get to know his new bunkmates. When we picked him up at the end of the week, he told us he could have stayed there all summer.
When we picked Henry up, the counselors had a short ceremony where they gave each camper an award. Henry, despite being the youngest camper in the bunk, received the ‘Most likely to be a camp counselor’ award because he was a leader in his cabin. He helped to solve disputes and keep the other campers on task (aka, he was bossy).
The counselor also said he never had to tell Henry to do anything twice because Henry was a great listener. Michael and I still laugh about that because Henry seems to turn off his listening skills at home. At least we now know he is capable.
Summer camp was a great experience for Lucas and Henry because they spend all of their time with us. We are rarely apart. It is good for them to be independent and spend time away from us.
We plan to sign them up for summer camp next year.
