I never liked going to sleep away camp. That may sound funny coming from a girl who is a life-time Girl Scout. It wasn't the act of camping, the out-of-doors, the bugs or showering in cold water. I wasn't home sick for my parents. I just hated the organized activities that they forced you to do. Crafts after breakfast. Swimming before lunch. Games before dinner. There were a lot of forced activities that I just didn't like to do that I had to, because they were on the schedule. I preferred to do things on my own time and enjoying my experience to the fullest. The whole "planned fun" wasn't really my cup of tea.I hope Amber doesn't feel like her activities are too planned here at "Amber Camp." I've let the girls set their own schedule; requesting outside time when they want it, sunning themselves as long as they prefer, and sniffing everything they want. I'm lucky that they are pretty easy.
Instead of swimming, we've had stuffy chasing. Instead of arts and crafts, the girls have been enjoying experimental bed making. As you can see here, Amber and Seka were inspired by my daily yoga practice and made me a ying-yang symbol.
Later on, Roxy and Amber practiced their stacking skills and built me a cute greyhound tower. They tried to convince one of the cats to top it off by placing a pillow on the top, but they just couldn't make it happen.
I whipped up a special meal for the campers one night - turkey necks. It took Amber a few extra minutes to get the hang of eating it, so Boo Radley stood guard and made sure no one bothered her.
Amber has tried to convince us that she is carving a totem pole out of sticks for her mom and dad as a souvenir from Amber Camp. I keep trying to tell her that stick carving often leads to intestinal impaction, so we don't allow such risky activities here. But she is a rebel and will try to work on her one-of-a-kind craft project every chance she gets.
And of course we've indulged in snack time - marshmallows, cookies, ice cream, cheese, yogurt. What's a vacation without snacks? And of course we've had lots of nap time.
All in all I think Amber Camp has been a success. I don't really want it to end and I think Roxy and Seka feel the same way.
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8 comments:
This American Life did a show on camps. camps weren't for me either. too many crappy crafts with acrylic yarn or popsicle sticks and not enough s'mores.
i think you need to have a boy girl dance at the end.
Jen and I went to overnight horsey camp and it was fun for the most part, I liked the horses and the swimming. I hated arts and crafts which is weird bc I love to draw :-p but you're right, "planned fun" sucks!
Amber looks quite happy there!
Remember that 4-H camp we did back in the day? I was stressed out the entire time!
However, your camp, my friend, looks quite, quite fun!
~a~
'Planned Fun' is the worst. Greyhounds are a spontaneous bunch. Sniffing and napping being favorite pasttimes. That pic of Amber with a stick looks like she is just flossing after the turkey neck. She heard greys have bad teeth.
I hated archery and arts & crafts!!! I think you need to add some sort of P.E. to your camp offerings. Amber needs to work off that belly of hers :-).
Jen
Jen, you'd never believe that she was the one who was 96 lbs when she bounced. She's 70 lbs now (10 lbs over race weight). She didn't even look like a greyhound. So she has some hanging parts that need some tucking in, but she still runs great, loves to retrieve a toy and chases Seka in the yard! 96 LBS!!!!!!
OMIDOG! 96 LBs!!! Well, then great job to her whoever got her down to 70lbs.
Jen
Thank you for the wonderful post. Amber is missing all of you! I know that she will be wishing that she was still at Camp Amber when she begins her low-marshmallow diet :) Give my best to Kevin and the girls and thanks again for all of your help.
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