I left my daughter in the boonies

Today I drove my 10 year-old daughter out to camp. She's never before been to a summer camp. I think she is in for a rude awakening.

I loved camp when I was a kid. I spent a week at Camp Winnetaska (near Pell City, Alabama) in summer 1983 and again in summer 1984. I ate it all up: the camp songs, the swooning over the "hot boys" (gack!), the swimming, the sleeping in bunks in cabins with no central air conditioning, the dining hall, the spirit competitions, the skits.... all of it. ATE IT UP. I have very fond memories of my time at camp. I wish they had summer camp for grown-ups. I'd be the first one to sign up. Even if there was no air conditioning. Really.

I was the one to encourage Camryn to go this week. She asked a school friend to go the same week so they'd have buddies, and they even got assigned to the same cabin. She and Hannah have talked about camp for weeks. She seemed over the moon.



Today Camryn wouldn't eat much breakfast. Camp butterflies. She was terrified that her other cabin mates wouldn't like her. I gave her the mom speech ("If those girls don't like you, then that's their tough luck. You rock!") but it didn't work. She fretted all the way out to the middle of the boonies where the camp is located.

We arrived, removed her well-packed suitcase from the trunk, and headed off to check Camryn in and find her cabin. As soon as she saw Hannah, the fears seemed to melt away. I went through the check-in process and soon I was getting the eye rolls from Camryn that mean I need to hurry up and get out of her space. Gotcha.

Can't you just see the contempt in her eyes?



One of the counselors helped us find Camryn's cabin. Her "huddle leader" was outside waiting on us. I asked if I needed to come in and help make her bed. What Camryn said stopped me cold.

"No. I can make my own bed, Mom." (MOM!) "I think I'll be okay."

This is the child that whined and groaned about stripping the sheets off her bed this morning so I can wash them and have them ready for our cleaning lady to put back on the bed on Thursday. This is the child that hates making her bed. This is the child that stomped and frumped for hours two weeks ago when I told the cleaning lady not to put the sheets back on her bed because the room was left a mess (the kids KNOW they have to clean their rooms so Kim can vacuum and make the beds, and if they don't, Kim doesn't clean or remake the beds with fresh sheets...)

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

And with that, I was dismissed. I did manage to get a parting shot of Camryn with her counselor (huddle leader), Amanda.



I hurried, because Camryn's body language was SCREAMING, "C'mon, Mom. There is a porch full of girls WATCHING US. This is SO NOT COOL!" I got a brief hug out of her, and then I took Lillian's hand and said to my other kids, "C'mon guys. Let's go."

She didn't need me. She wanted to act all tough and run me off, but by Wednesday she'll be covered in mosquito bites and crazy homesick.

I hope she remembered to put on her sunscreen. And her bug repellent. And I hope she remembers to put her dirty laundry in the mesh bag I gave her. And I hope she's not too hot.

I miss her already.