Girl Scout Camp

Girl Scout Day Camp wrapped up this past Friday. Now, I have blogged in the past about Cub Scout Day Camp , which is a special place if you haven’t been. I actually did a blog for each day one year, with a total of 5.  It documents the whole unravelling : )

Today I decided that it was finally time to give Girl Scout Day Camp some attention here on RebeccaVanMeterBlog.

The girl’s camp is pretty special too.  Not completely different from the boys except all the nature is a little bit more glittery (whether you’re out on the trail or just washing your hands).  Also, it’s not uncommon to close it down with everybody signing each others shirts, snow cone truck or fire truck water party, and a conga line of people dancing to Call Me Maybe, which would be a rarity out at Bartle.
From the year my daughter finished kindergarten to her 5th grade year, I’ve been a unit leader every summer.  We started out at Tongawood and switched to Prairie Schooner, but I feel like I kind of have the unit leader gig down.

There’s not much to it.  I find out the theme and get my unit list (girls in my daughters grade from all over our neighborhood high school’s attendance area).  Next, I e-mail their parents and invite them all over for a party.

Not party, I’m sorry The Pre-Camp Meeting, the girls share a snack and work on a banner that usually involves a retired curtain and a lot of puffy paint.  They get to reconnect with, or meet camp friends that they may, or may not see during the year.  At the same time, I (or a responsible grown up) get to give parents the lowdown on camp week and show them my excellent visual aids!

A lot of leaders have the girls make shirts at this wing ding, but I do it ahead to assure quality control.  It’s a sickness, I know.  Then, they go home with all the info on a handout and their new camp t-shirt, plus maybe a head start on their swaps

The Sunday before camp week, I load up the van with all the stuff on my ever growing pack list and Hub gets to drive out with me and help set up an awesome camp home.  After that, I’m all ready for the big week : )

The rest is just getting them on the bus and loving ’em all the livelong day while you herd them, like cats, through the schedule that’s set up for you and then making sure they get back to the right grownup at the end of the day.  That, and winning the spirit stick at least one day through a creative plan that avoids the dreaded We’ve Got Spirit Song that you may remember from here.  You all know how I feel about that one.

Yep, just because you start out singing doesn’t mean it won’t end in a rumble… or at best a headache.

Play it cooooool, that’s my camp motto… and don’t let their blood sugar drop either.  It really helps to have a sweet, sweet fanny pack with some twizzlers stashed inside.Random Camp Photos from yesteryear to this year Slideshow…

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This summer was a little bit different.  I didn’t have a unit, my kid is Teen Staff! Eeek!

I think she loved it! 

There were around 80 of them in a little army of service and cutie-patootie-ness, taking care of all kinds of jobs and campers and tired parent volunteers.  It was pretty awesome.

Me, well, I’m not sure that I adjusted quite as well : )

Camp was Star Wars Themed this year, which was fun.

I got to sub for unit leaders part of the week and just sort of helped where needed.  I made my own swaps.  My favorite:  Faux Camp Personal Ads …

I never quite settled on a camp name, just made up funny ones and kept calling the units that I was with different names too.

What?!  You’re The Jar Jar Pinks!  I could have sworn you were The Nauseous Bus Riders!  Remote Control Chipmunk Frenzy! The Sticky Spirit Fingers!  The Forgotten Water Bottles!  Hangry Jazzercise Monkeys!  Paw Patrol S.W.A.T. Team!  The Ting Tings!     … and so on and so forth.

Ah well, Day is Done my friends and this has been your camp counselor, Mandisa Hammer-Pants, Aunt Flo, Chalupa Regret, Loquacious Totes, Oprah Oakmite, M.C. Boom Chicka Boom, Twinkles Lemonade, Extra Number Seven, Fire Hazard, Grandma Yawni, Lostima Campers, and so forth  : )        Signing off!!

Safely Rest Everybody!

Zip It Up

Of course that’s me.  See the awesome fanny pack?:-)  and this is the story of how I got here….

Our summer traditions just keep coming!

This is Cousin Week

which is a good natured competition with my sister-in-law to pull out all the stops and create the Best Week Ever!  We get to spoil our kiddos and promote some good old extended family bonding all at the same time.

This goes all the way back to at least preschool.  I think it started with my son staying with my nephew for vbs and then moved right along to all 4 kids here for 5ish days and then same thing there, every summer.

It is so key for the kids to be able to spend time with family… otherwise, if they end up on Dateline, YOU, PARENTS, alone will be blamed for whatever lands them in the hot seat with Lester Holt.  You gotta cover those bases!

I digress,

so, Cousin Week…

 

As their summers got busier it became a little harder to find the time.  We made it just one week alternating here one summer and there the next.

they all have goggles on because the fire pit was smoky.

Currently, we split.  Last summer I got two 5th grade girls while my sister-in-law had two 6th grade boys.  This summer I get the boys and she gets the girls.

Salina 2016

I feel like it was easier to wow them as preschoolers; Kaleidoscope, camp at The Nelson or Soccer Camp, a different pool every day, bike rides, etc…

These days it’s a little tougher, but coming up with things to do with the girls isn’t too bad.  Last year they hosted the grand parents for a multi-course dinner party.

They planned the menu, did the baking and cooking, made centerpieces and everything.  We went to the fabric store to get materials for travel toiletry bags, got pedicures, painted at Grapes and Paints.  I braided my nieces hair… which I rule at!  It was all Totes Adorbz!

 

This summer, with the last week in June set aside and my daughter (thrilled beyond all get out to be) headed out for Cousin Week in Salina, I was wracking my brain for ideas to fill the week with my son and nephew here in KC.

That place where trains bring your food, not going to cut it anymore.

I gotta kick it up a notch.  I took them to a bar.

Desperate times

Did I say bar?  I’m sorry, barcade.  Classic games, all ages ’til 8pm, unlimited play for 5 bucks.  This is at Tapcade, you should go, plus the food is good and I read a book the whole time.

Other big hit of the week and definite crowd favorite:

zipkc.com

 

This isn’t cheap, but compared to 60 seconds of ifly it’s a great deal.  If you’re between 70 and 300 pounds, I would highly recommend it.  We all loved it, and I am a huge chicken!

Let the kids go first, so that they don’t have to witness your prayer swear breakdown… I kid, it wasn’t as bad as canoeing into a tree.  Although I thought hitting another one might put my jaw back where it goes.  Not a scratch from this though, but that first step off the platform takes a second of bravery for sure.

Here’s their video of somebody doing the one we did.  Our pics aren’t great, it was tough to focus on.

I’m totally counting this toward my midlife crisis!

We had the best time and all three of us would totally go again.

Oh yeah, and since it’s the 4th… Happy 4th of July!

 

 

dc talk

Last Friday our family set out on another Van Meter Vacation Adventure!  What is the ideal American Vacation for the family with a 10 and 11 year old?

 of course!

There is so much to do!  By the end of our 1st full day we had visited The White House,

gone through   and seen The International Spy Museum!

 I should have bought the gnome:)

Here are a few White House photos…

&

Hub’s transportation in the mid 80’s, now in the Smithsonian

The next day we had a rental car (Did I mention the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally?  900,000 bikers in DC, roads closed, fun driving).  We headed out to Mt. Vernon, the Washington National Cathedral and The U.S. National Arboretum.

  

Later in the day, it rained, which thinned out the crowds a lot, so we walked around and saw memorials.  We made it to the Korean, WW II, Vietnam and Lincoln and were able to take our time, since relatively few other folks were out and about.

Monday, on  

Hub was up with the chickens getting our Washington Memorial tickets, so that was our first stop and it was very cool.  Great Views up there!

After that one, we hit The National Air and Space Museum and then The Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

 Next,

ate one of these  on route to the paddle boats.

I think the huge amount of ice cream trucks that are always all over the place was sadly my kid’s DC highlight.

We were already walking eight to twelve miles a day, so paddle boating seemed like a nice way to round that out.  When you add all that to playing in our tiny hotel pool  DC Vacation Triathlon!

Seriously, I’m ready for new knees like Grandma

Then on Tuesday, we took the metro to Arlington National Cemetery.

There’s a hop on, hop off tram tour that’s an absolute must for many reasons.  You can catch a breeze, take a break from all the walking and enjoy an informative narrator who explains what your seeing along the way.

       After Arlington, the kids got to experience their first cab ride, to our next stop, The National  Gallery of Art.

I loved it, but I was also reminded how great we have it in KC because The Nelson is pretty amazing.  I could have spent all day going through the gallery, but we were losing the kids, so it was time to walk on over to The U.S. Botanic Garden, which the kids thought was pretty cool.

Finally a little feet off of floor time at the hotel, because they also were pretty excited to have cable.  We caught up on lots of HGTV at night and the kids loved Chopped Junior.

Our final full day of Vacation started at the office of our congressman

 Hub had set up a tour of the house and senate.

Our very last, official DC destination was The Supreme Court.  You can walk in, sit down and hear all about it, which is so great because we were wiping out by then!

6/2/16                  Airport here we come!

 

 

Cub Scout Day Camp… Second Day

Sent: Tue 6/5/2012 9:52 PM

Yes, I came back again

but

Today I brought a whistle,

That’s right, I Captain Von Trapped all my people.

Okay, I’m not that good, but the whistle did save my voice. I’d blow it to get their attention, then we do a cheesy cheer,

“C-A-M…P-E-R! Campers, Yes we are! Hey!” and the Count Off.

Also, I put red duct tape across all of their backs, so it’s easier to sort them from the rabble.

and

We banned the “Rock you, sock you” song.  Honestly, I think it was the first thing that crossed my mind this morning… it’s burned into my brain. Anyway, it’s gone and I won’t miss it, although I might catch myself still humming it… j/k.

Today, activity number one was Human Foosball and then they did sling shots, all before lunch.  Noonday flag pole fun?  The mic-o-say Indian dancers and Popsicles!

After that we went to The Trading Post, where boys were able to buy the same rocks that were all over the ground for a dollar fifty each, and as if rocks alone weren’t enough, they also carry a great selection of plastic handcuffs, bouncy balls and other quality items. My Son purchased plastic sheriff badges for Sis and himself.

We packed up all of their items and put them in somebody’s car.  That way we didn’t have to spend the rest of the day breaking up fights between campers wielding tiny rubber swords that say “Day Camp 2011”.

Ugh, Don’t make me use the plastic handcuffs!

Instead, we headed off to our egg drop activity.                                                     Just giving a group of little boys a raw egg, seems risky,  

having them figure out ways to drop it without breaking it, that’s just cheap entertainment.

They wrapped up the day making crafty handkerchiefs with crafty slides.

The boys were able to fill any down time by throwing water at each other or doing a little hula hooping. We were pretty much accident free, except for a boy who got hit in the face with the portapotty door… while attempting to harass a portapotty user, and another whose tongue got stuck in his water bottle. No permanent damage.

Come Aboard, We’re Expecting You!

This past week was my fun, cruise getaway with Hub and, oh my goodness, it was perfect!  We had the best time!!

It was a lot like this  

We went on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas, 500th voyage.  I think all of their boats follow this Chicken of the Sea naming format,

 which can get a little confusing… even for Jessica Simpson.  You may remember her mistaking Chicken Of The Sea tuna for chicken on an episode of Newlyweds.  I never watched a single second of Newlyweds but remember this being referenced so much that it ended up in an awesome SNL skit.  After a concert, she grabs a big can of Chicken Of The Sea tuna and proudly says to the camera that she knows its fish, not chicken, but then becomes confused as an announcer offers her Tuna Of The Dirt chicken, Turkey Of The Jungle bananas (which can be found in the chicken aisle), Pork Of The Orchard apples (the apples with the turkey on the can) and Chicken Of The Medicine Cabinet pain reliever.

But, Anyway

if you’re looking for some quality time together and you love sunshine, sea breezes, the sound of the ocean and unlimited soft-serve ice cream cones, and you don’t want to lift a finger or worry about a thing… this is your ultimate vacation.

Also,  if you’re retired, haven’t had a reunion with your cousins in a while and you’re looking for a good excuse to make matching t-shirts…

Yup, it works on many levels.

The first scheduled stop on our cruise was Grand Cayman, but due to weather we hit Costa Maya instead.

Our excursion there was the Mayan Ruins… other local ruins include the blighted outlet malls abandoned after Hurricane  Dean, those are found just on the other side of the barbed wire fence.

We were headed on into the jungle, so I was a little disappointed with our bus’es complete lack of chickens…

Nope

It wasn’t quite as Romancing the Stone as you’d hope.

but they did offer free coke, which was great because otherwise we got nada, until we were back on the boat

  open a taco stand there and make millions.  Here is a picture of a nice Mayan ruin, probably the best one, possibly the builder model for the whole subdivision. It’s a walk up, most are.  I think this one is called The Stair Master and buns of steel are included.

The longer we looked, the more I just saw a big, delicious rice krispy treat, by the time we piled on the bus everybody was a little less friendly and a little more hangry, so we made a bee line for the boat and bypassed the opportunity to haggle over t-shirts and wrestling masks, not kidding, apparently Nacho Libre was much bigger down here.

…  okay, signing off for now, but more on the cruise later this week…