Day 1 Friday:
Dennis had taken a day off from work and the girls got out of school early. I had us packed and ready to hit the road. Out of town (mostly) ahead of the crowd. We stopped in Half Moon Bay to browse the stores. P saw a pink cowgirl hat and now it's on her list of "things mom needs to buy me". We peeled out before that could be found and procured. The Jeske girls got books and I found one too only to be bitterly disappointed in the fact it's one I've already read, but had a different cover - I hate that. Thank goodness for the back up that is iBooks.
We peeled out to Pescadero and met up with the Creaches at Duarte's Tavern. Had a Guiness and dinner. For the Creaches it was like Cheers when Norm walked in shouts of the kids names and high pitch squeals abounded. Too much fun.
The girls in front of Duarte's.
P having a drink from the Milk bar..
We finished up and filed back to the cars, a ten minute drive up the road, past two families of deers we were at Camp Loma Mar. Dirt road, rustic cabins and all. No phone or internet access- way primative, my fingers were already twitching in with drawl. Dennis signed us in and we piled out to find our cabin; cabin 2. By the time we unpacked and found our flash lights it was ten minutes to camp fire. In that short amount of time we learned we'd have to introduce ourselves and show our banner. As not having a banner wasn't an option, we quickly hit the dining hall and got to work.
Flowers, hearts and a huge "j" and we all signed our names. It's all good. Up the hill, finally needing our flashlights we trekked.
Jeske's first camp fire (notice me .. in back)
Camp fire... If you've ever been to camp, what can you say? Goofy songs, punny skits and smoke. The staff introduced themselves with a variety of pseudonyms "Xena, Pinky, Lion Heart, Time piece, Mokki, Disney". At first I thought they must be some sort of sorry commune kids with jacked up names- cases of bad Hippy parenting; but each has some hidden meaning that just would have taken too much brain power to decipher.
The camp director Xena asked for volunteers, and out of the corner of my eye I see a hand shoot up ,a not unfamiliar hand. Major bummer O had us up on stage with major enthusiasm. We introduced ourselves as quickly as possible and I got back to the back of the auditorium as fast as humanly possible. Note to self to speak with my children about my life long philosophy of -stay in back and get the lay of the land beeeefooooooore volunteering - for anything.
The other families looked just as uncomfortable, but you could tell the veterans by their easy stage presence. One family, ahem, unfurled an invisible banner to cheers.
It was ten by the time we headed back to the cabins. We had dresses the girls in jammies so all that was left to do was to direct them into their bunks and zip them in. Count to ten and check their breathing, they were out. Have to say I was surprised by how freaking cold it was. Not that I hadn't been warned, I'm just skeptic by nature. It's August people. Sweat shirt and socks were needed along with my super warm sleeping bag. By the time morning came, I had only my nose peeking out.
Our digs..
The bare necessities
Storage..
Saturday Day 2:
Woke at 7:30 the girls were excited to start the day. At eight we headed down to the dining hall. Washed our hands and headed in; pancakes, fruit, trays of bacon and buckets of syrup. Most importantly they had good coffee.
At nine they had 'inspiration' which they deemed like campfire but with out the fire. We declined attendance and hung around our cabin. Got the girls dressed and teeth brushed; it was all good. Ten we walked 5 feet to the flag pole and watched the flag raising.
They asked for volunteers and both girls were out helping to raise the flag. We pledged then listened to the days activities.
Tie dying
Rock wall climbing
Kick ball
Archery
Earth ball games
Zip lining
The girls were all in for zip lining. Dennis walked down with them as I took a couple minutes to straighten up. P was first to zoom across the field. O was fourth.
Both zipped at terrifying speed across the field. Twenty feet in the air smiles as wide as all get out.
As they were only allowed one turn P was quick to spot the Earth Ball games. We walked over to learn how to play "Indiana Jones Ball". A circle of people and four cones in the middle we heaved the Earth Ball around with the goal of 'tagging' the kid in the middle. It was awesome. Both girls were totally stoked as they tried to out maneuver the five foot high inflated ball. I can't say that I wasn't having fun trying to bounce the thing off the back of them.
Now let me tell you about the 'Gaga Pit'. What? What is a Gaga Pit?
An octangular Thunderdome of pure glee. Five foot plywood sides with a small hinged door to let out those knocked out. You start with about twenty kids and adults, butts on the wall then drop in a six inch nerf ball that you use to peg people under the knee to knock them out. Part Dodge ball, part Lord of the Flies. It's awesome- to the point where even I was in the pit having a flipping blast.
Last one standing wins
O and D waiting to get back in the Gaga pit.
Soon was time for lunch. Potato bar with chili and corn bread. Hey it's camp, not the Ritz.
Dining hall buffet table. Serve yourself, bus your dishes and wipe down your tables.
Oh and did I mention, no Wifi, no cell service. This is it..
Total old school.
A siesta for an hour after then the girls diverged. P was all in for Nature art and O and Dennis were off to shoot things with arrows. The P and I made pipe cleaner crowns with feathers and pine leaves the like Don Quixote we walked over to the rock wall and back searching for the archery field. We gave up after we noticed the pool was open. We jumped in our suits and hit the pool. Had to do a swim test one lap and then tread water for 1 minute. P made it across then couldn't keep her head above water for a minute. Her brave face crumbled and she spent 20 minutes sobbing in a towel huddled in my lap. There's always next year.
We dressed and got P's feet back from turning blue in time for dinner. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, salad bar and homemade bread. The girls subsisted on cheese a carrot and Dennis begged for a PB and J from the kitchen staff for the girls.
Fed, or sort of fed we went back to the cabins and got ready for a game of 'scrounge'. Three counselors across the meadow calling out for random items
"bring me a.... Pillow pet"
"first grown man wearing lipstick"
"first person under ten in a sleeping bag hopping up here..".
"first team to bring a mattress and have the whole team sit on it"
I had no idea how competitive people were until this game, it was hilarious and a ton of fun. And we totally won. But they declared everyone winners. (I'm just saying' we were robbed). After shoveling all our stuff back in our cabin we were back up for camp fire and gourmet s'mores bar. Songs, stories, ukeleles and mayhem. After camp fire the smarter of the parents took P back and tucked her in and lounged. The other went on the Batan death march of night hikes. Mistake number one- following O's request to go, #2 el husbando had the flash light, mistake number three, trying to spark a wintergreen lifesaver while trying to keep my balance on a ridge top.
Tough night of sleep, two tissue paper thin mattresses made me feel like the princess and the pea. Tip from veterans is to bring their own blow up camping mattresses is duly noted. I've had better nights sleep.
Sunday Day 3:
Eggs, potatoes and toast. Cereals and juices, fruit and yogurt. And bless them..coffee.
Finally made it to to the shower. Not exactly spa like, but I didnt feel like I might catch some dreaded skin rot. Enough warm water to get clean.
Flag raising at ten. Activities were announced
Tie dye
Games in the woods
Zip line
Archery
Lanyards
Story telling
Three out of four Jeske's tie dyed then wandered off to find our child of the forest. O was playing camouflage where you counted to twenty then you had to have visual of the person who is it.. Oh geeze. You had to be here. But you will be - next year right? Are you with me yet?
Yeah,well..
Pizza for lunch, grapes and salad. Fruit punch, milk and coffee.
After lunch new activities!
Creek stomp
Drawing
Skit prep
Gaga
Zip line
Snipe hunt
Meadow games
Oh, revenge is sweet! Dennis took the girls to the creek stomp. I took the towels and waited for them down by the stream.
I had forty minutes of peace and quite.
The girls and Dennis waded in the creek for a mile walk -some times waist deep water as cold as any mountain run off. Hehehehehe.. P and O both came out blue and Dennis soaked to his belly button crawled out muttering all sorts of kind and lovely endearments. Apparently he thought I had said I was coming and I missed O's first time peeing in the woods. Huh? Bummer.
We schlepped up the hill in search of dry clothes and snacks. The girls dried off and changed - note to self; more long pants and 15 pair more socks.
The open activities were the pool, the ping pong tables in the yurt. No one took me up on my 'ping pong to the death' challenge. So I've been sitting in here blogging, watching happy dusty kids kick soccer balls around the flag pole, listening to guitar riffs from the skits to be performed tonight and watching the old guard reading or chatting under the trees.
An hour until dinner and the pack has migrated down to the creek to skip rocks.
Dinner was a Mexican burrito bar, flour tortillas, fajita meat, beans, rice, sour cream and cheese.
The after dinner 'twilight game' was some sort of dodge ball-kick the can-freeze tag- dress-up-cricket hybrid only the kids could figure out. Lots of squeals and laughter while the adults sat on the porch of the lodge drinking coffee.
At eight we lowered the flag and headed up to campfire. Cabins 1, 2 and 3 kids did a skit - the best one of the night if I do say so myself. Lots of jokes, songs and hilarity. At the end of the evening we did a candle lit walk to the meadow to sing the closing song. It was really a great way to wrap up the evening.
P and I headed to the potties to brush and flush. O declined as it was too cold to go out. I agreed but I hate going to bed with funky teeth.
Tomorrow is the polar bear swim 7:30 am at the unheated pool. Me thinks I'll decline.
Monday Day 4:
Woke up at eight. Somehow missed the polar bear swim, had to shake the girls up to make breakfast.
French toast, sausage, fruit, oatmeal or cereals.
The camp director Xena asked the girls to be in a skit at inspiration. Our first time and as pretty, non practicing anythings, I have to say it was nice. The girls did a skit, about the color 'yellow' who meets different colors and everyone leaves their marks on him - as in each kid got to paint a different color on this poor counselor. That kid deserves a raise!
my kids loved it.
After we did the flag raising ceremony we broke out to do our last activities, we chose a hike with Andy to Memorial Park to see 'dead Fred' a fallen redwood. Across a creek, through the woods.. Pretty awesome. Only a couple wet kids on the way home.
The closing lunch was burgers and dogs. We were all packed up so the girls did a potty run and we peeled out. When I asked the girls what they liked most, they listed as much as they could remember doing, and the worst- neither could come up with anything.
Thank you again Andy and Bridget and all our new friends, we can't wait for next year!
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