Sebastian and Liesl are having two straight weeks of summer camp programs with their friends - they have been having good experiences (mostly), and seem to be exhausted at the ends of their days. They come home at 4 and collapse onto the couch for a few hours, content to read their books and eat popsicles.
Liesl was at Trackers Earth camp last week, with Nora, and is at a combination Zoo/Children's museum camp this week, with her preschool friend Nina and a solid contingent of Forest Park friends.
Some of my notes from Liesl's Trackers experience: Sprig Sparrow told them stories about Greek gods - she learned about immortality - Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, Aphrodite; they learned to turn water into ice with magic wands that they carved themselves; one day was spent making and drinking a potion (with flowers and plants gathered during their hikes); they traveled every day to various places, including Sauvie Island, Stub Stewart, Latourelle Falls; Liesl was excited to share her newfound knowledge about port-a-potties: "just keep the lid closed = no smell!" I think she had a good time, but it was mostly because she got to spend the day with Nora. She liked playing in the various bodies of water - streams, lakes - and invariably came home soaking wet.
Sebastian was at Sports Plus camp last week with his friends Nathan, Jack, and Nate - there were sports, sports, games, recess (sports), more sports. It's run by a local Catholic school and had terrific, friendly counselors that Sebastian really liked. He loved playing dodgeball, team handball, soccer, basketball - he even learned some volleyball skills. The camp counselors made up some fun new games involving scooters and team relay racing, and another one with complicated rules that involved throwing balls at cones and running around. The highlight for Seb was clearly the Thursday Olympics: he won the silver medal in his age group and was thrilled with his shiny medal. I was most happy that by the end of the week he had made a new friend, Sawyer.
This week, Sebastian has been at Trackers, and that's been a less successful experience. He's with three of his best friends, which is great, but I have been less than impressed by his counselors, who appear to be overgrown children, full of their own macho wilderness pride. They are not terribly kind, or patient, and they assume the boys already know all the basics about plants and wood carving and building a fire, and then ridicule them if they do not or show any reluctance. It's been tough; the only good thing I can say is that Sebastian has in fact learned a lot, and he's had to demonstrate some resilience to keep showing up. They've learned about edible plants and poisonous plants; they've practiced how to build and start a fire with matches and kindling; they practiced woodcarving and learned some great rules for knife safety; and they got to throw knives at a target. (!!) On Tuesday, Sebastian was really upset that there was a lot of terrifying peer/teacher pressure to light a match and start the fire. He's never been all that keen on fire and was terrified of embarrassing himself. So on Wednesday at 6:30 am, we practiced lighting matches on the stoop outside our townhouse - we lit a couple dozen matches and ground them out in the dirt. Quite the scene, but by 7:15 he was confident that he could strike a match, light it, and hold it long enough to light the kindling. Phew! I'm glad he's learned the skills, but I wish the experience had been better - I doubt he'll want to return.
Liesl has been at the Children's Museum in the mornings and at the Zoo in the afternoons: she has enjoyed seeing the animals - a baby giraffe and gazelle, naked mole rats burrowing, the lions, sea otters and penguins, flamingos and other birds. She made a paint brush out of twigs and a stamp. They have learned about and seen up close scorpions, turtles, ducks; they watched the weekly bird show, featuring a soaring golden eagle. I think the highlight has been reconnecting with Nina, and getting to ride the Zoo train.When I picked her up today, she and Nina were singing a crazy insect song at the top of their lungs, and giggling madly.
Next week they're home with a babysitter again, and I'm expecting they'll want to collapse and read and play in the neighborhood.
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