Thursday, June 28, 2007

Some Talent Show

Yesterday was the camper talent show. My favorite was the kid who recited Pi out to around the fortieth digit.

The crowd favortie was the kid who made an "evil squirrel face."
Note: My camera battery died yesterday, so it may be a little while before I can continue posting pictures from camp. If anyone has any questions about anything please post them in the comments as it will give me something to write about until I get my camera back. Thanks.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

It's The Humidity

Yesterday it was over 90 out and quite humid, so we replaced Capture the Flag with Water Games.

Water games consisted of everyone sharing a bunch of buckets, balls, and sponges and getting each other as wet as possible.

Staff members were the favorite targets.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Chucky

Last night a camper woke me up by knocking on my door at 2:30am. He told me he couldn't sleep because he was having nightmares. I took him out into the lounge and sat down on a couch while he sat on a chair across from me. He said that he couldn't sleep because he was having nightmares about the doll from Child's Play even though he had never seen the movie. He then told me that he used to have reoccurring nightmares about the doll a few months ago and he was very afraid that because he was thinking about it now he was going to have nightmares about it every night that he was here. I talked to him for a while about how safe an environment we were in and about how he had nothing to be afraid of. After a few minutes he told me he was ready to go back to bed.

It was then that I realized what I had done: I had acted out the scene in a horror movie where one person tells the other person that their irrational fear is completely unfounded. Now the doll was going to kill me while I was sleeping and the camper was going to find my body the next morning and only he would know who had killed me in the night.

It took me quite a while to fall asleep.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Greatest Moment of the Summer (Thus Far)

One turn...

Three bulls-eyes...

Game over.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

The 'Rents

Today was the last day of intro camp, so all the parents showed up for a Showcase of the skills their kids learned.

The kids were excited to see their parents.

The parents were excited to see their kids.

Then the kids did circus stuff for a couple hours.





People clapped.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Evil Pumpkin

The dinner dress up theme last night was Evil / Bad Guys. Of course I went as Derek Jeter. The counselor next to me is a super computer hacker.

In the picture below we have a counselor dresses as The Riddler and a camper dressed as an...evil pumpkin?

The costume below reminds me of The Shining. Looking at the picture scares me.

Finally we have a camp co-director. This costume also scares me.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Day to Day

Every morning the campers divide into their three groups and then rotate through four different classes. My group named themselves "The Piddling Pups on Parade." We have a theme song.

Their first stop today was acrobatics. They did all sorts of rolls and finished with monkey rolls (pictured above).

Next they moved on to Performance, which is clowning with a little bit of theater awareness built in. They played a game called Monster in which one kid is a monster and the other kid is afraid of them.

Next all the groups get together for snack time. Today they had grapes, apple slices, and cheese. Peanut butter was available to put on any of these things.

My group then moved on to juggling. They learned devil sticks / flower sticks and also diablo (pictured above). A good time was had by all.

My group finished their morning in aerials. The Spanish web is pictured above, but tight wire, trapeze, and fabric were also options.

Things to look forward to for the rest of this session: Pie Day, Gender Bender (a dinner dress up), a dance, and the showcase where the parents see what their kids have learned.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Toys 'R' Us Kid

Tonight's dinner dress up theme was: When I Grow Up...
Below you can see a future Japanese crazy cartoonist having her work inspected by a Rockstar and a pink haired, karate skilled, juggler for whom everyday is New Years Eve.

After dinner all the campers are assigned various chores. Below is a group learning how to put away leftovers from dinner.

My group was assigned to kitchen duty. They did not enjoy it. Note: I was a boxer, not a person for whom sleeping is the only part of the day they find enjoyable.

Finally there is this guy--the future fireman and eater of hot peppers.


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Kids Say...

Eight year old girl sitting next to me in a circus tent, "Your cologne smells good." I wasn't wearing any.

Nine year old boy sitting next to me at dinner, "Is there acid on the ravioli?" Answer with a shrug: Maybe.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Pie In Your Eye

From 3:30pm to 4:30 pm was, obviously, Pie Day.

And...scene.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

One Down...

The first day is all wrapped up now. Here is how it went down:

First we hiked them all over from the dorms to the circus tents.

Then they got to play on all the different circus apparatus we have here for them.

Some preferred being swung on the trapeze. Others got their kicks from the rolling globes.

The day ended with enough running games to make sure they all fell asleep immediately.

Tomorrow: Pie throwing and a luau.

Young 'Uns

Today the first session starts. The kids are all between the ages of five and eight years old. They arrive around 8:30am today, stay the night, and then leave around 6pm tomorrow. Each counselor only has two campers to look after since they are so young.

I've got cousins.


Saturday, June 16, 2007

Swing O' Doomishness

We swam across this lake from that little non-tree part on the other side.

Then we swung on a rope swing.

Then the more talented individuals among us did fancy tricks.

I made not so fancy splashes.


Swing Day

We have a meeting directly after our 8am breakfast to discuss how the first two short sessions of camp are going to run and then we are off until early tomorrow morning. There is a rumor of a rope swing over a lake, so that is where I plan to spend my time off.


Friday, June 15, 2007

A Golf Cart Attack!

Today we all had to do some chores to get ready for the campers coming on Sunday. One of the aerials coaches and I volunteered to go to the tour's (edited to remove camp name) main site about five miles away and drive a golf cart back to camp.


Above is the coach by the sign for Circus Rd. Below is me having way too much fun in Vermont.

On our way back we saw a tractor. Very exciting stuff.