Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Countdown to the Camp-less Summer.


I am an idiot. Over the past 3 months, while smart moms everywhere were firing off applications and checks to day camps, sleep away camps, sports clinics and summer education enrichment, I got it into my pea-sized brain that This Was the Summer We'd Forego It All and kick it old school - freestyle. See the Mary Cassat painting? Those were the pastels the rogue section of my brain used to paint visions of joy and harmony and dappled sunlight. While alarms were going off on the logical side of my brain,  I was busy dreaming up sample schedules:

8:00 am: Fruit -of-the-day and pancake breakfast. Sing-along.
9:00 am: Mom & Me Yoga, followed by Twister.
10:00 am:"Butterfly Girls" Book Club in hammock. Use dandelions for bookmarks.
11:00 am: home-made popsicles from fresh-squeezed juice.
11:10 am: Bubbles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11:30 am: Driveway chalk paintings a la Mary Poppins. Sing "Spoonful of Sugar" etc.
12:00 Picnic lunch with Jack Johnson music. Discuss college possibilities with 10 & 7 year old.
1:00 pm: Pen Pal Club. Write to the Amish. And the Jonas Brothers.
1:30 pm: nap.
2:00 pm: Lemonade stand. Send proceeds to China earthquake relief. 
4:00 pm: Craft Time:  Spell "Love" in Chinese letters with popsicle sticks. Send to earthquake victims. 
5:00 pm: Jump-rope "see you tomorrow" song.
6:00 pm: bed.


Reality Check: Pop Tarts, Applejacks, Disney Channel, Game Cube, Nintendo, and an amorphous, unending , ear-splitting, nerve-grating, Valium-prescription-inducing soundtrack of:

YouSaidYouWereGoingToPlayWithMeAndYouAlwaysDoThatMOM!!!!!!!!SheNeverLetsMeUseHerStuffButShe'sAlwaysStealingMySttuffMOM!!!!!!!YouSaidWeCouldn'tEatTheCandyButSheTookSomeMOM!!!!!!!!!That'sNotFairYesItIs!!!NoItIsn't!!!!MOM!!!IHateYouAndINeverWantToPlayWithYouAgainMOM!!!!!!!!

Mom?


"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.....
in a most delight-ful way."

19 comments:

The Roaming Southerner said...

Is this your sugar? http://www.cheapfunwines.com/

It sure would be mine!

Good luck

Brooke said...

My daughter is going to camp.

(Just thought I would brag a little)

Now if only I could find a camp for my 3 year old son.......

Tenakim said...

My 13 year old boy has 3 camps this summer- but none for the girls- and really, the estrogen in the house causes all the problems- what the hell was I thinking?

The Mom Jen said...

Although my oldest has two dance camps (1 week each 3 hours per day) and summer dance (2 days/week 2 hours each)...I'm still going to be hearing the same crap each day..MOOOMM! He/She hit/pinched/touched/breathed on/looked at me...blah blah blah-fricken blah.

I'll be ready for that afternoon cocktail and naptime. Benadryl for everybody!

Anonymous said...

A couple of ideas.
1. Alot of movie theaters are offering free movies. If you time it right you can see a free movie every weekday. (I think you are in teh Lehigh Valley. Rave at the Promenade's are Wed adn Thurs.)
2Check DaVinchi Center they may still have an opening or two. (or just go spend a day there.)
3 Check your school system we just were notified there were opeinings in our two camps.)
4 Check Camp Invention they may still have openings as well.
5 Michael's has craft days. (There are starbucks conviently located right next to two of them.)
6 Check the Community college there may be some classes still.

HTH
(From a Mom in the same boat as you except my kids are 9, 14 and 17.)
Liz

Tonya Staab said...

I'm with ya. 1 12 year old, no camps. It's been on my to-do list. I've looked at it every day. I've considered booking him in every day, but where am I? Blogging. That's where. I better get my butt into gear otherwise I will be left entertaining said 12 year old and the babies all alone, all day. Calgon, take me away.

carrie said...

I am really glad I have at least one of them signed up for summer camp right now! ;)

Beth Cotell said...

We don't do camps either.

We will be spending the entire summer at the pool. The kids can play with their friends and I can work on my tan...or my wrinkles...

Gettysburg Mom said...

I was all set to send my kids to your house with that ideal sounding schedule! Oh well. Do you think my son will believe he's been enrolled in a special "clean the house and that means the toilets too" camp?

Kelly said...

We should get our kids together...and we'll kick back and survive the tantrums and arguments with some cocktails.
I too, am in the exact same boat as you and a few other moms..
its already started over here..the summertime craze..
"can we go here?"
"Play with me!!"
"She stuck her tongue out!"
"Mom are you awake yet?"
Maybe I will make some sort of camp in the back yard and periodically go out there and squirt them with the hose..lol

Denise Thomas said...

What if we hold hands? Cause I'm looking at the same summer with my twins and I'm scared. The only time we will let our hands go is when we sip our drinks, ok?

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

Oh my ... what a fascinating summer you had planned. What about dancing in fields with lillies and singing Kum-by-ya (or however you spell that) by a campfire while roasting marshmellows?

Ali said...

That schedule sounds very similar to the one I had planned except nap time was 3 hours instead of 30 minutes. Yeah, that didn't go over too well!

Deanna said...

Chores for the kids. (Sure fire whine eliminator!)

Calgon for you!!

Sheila said...

I'm still freakin laughing. Are you sure you didn't get that footage from my house? I'm kickin it old school over here in CA too. Old school all day all night. Maybe we can go send ourselves to camp. Any suggestions on where?

Dette said...

Oh hell - you ain't alone. lol - it's the same over here!!

Alice said...

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I've got my kids in 3 different camps this summer. Whew!

I especially liked the dandelion bookmark touch!

Kristi said...

All these comments have me nervous for summer vacation to start. Our school doesn't get out until June 18th. I am starting to sweat a little bit. Maybe I better check on some sports camps or something...fun fun.

Anonymous said...

LMAO as I read this and knowing school starts on Thursday here in GA....hear the bells ringing (oh that's my singing!). This was my first ever summer home with 2 kiddos (girl age 8 and boy age 6). What in the hell was I thinking???????? Thursday cannot get here fast enough!