Camp

This week Ashley is attending a day camp run by Girl Scouts. As a troop leader, I have been impressed with the Girl Scout organization as a whole, as well as with the qualities it instills in the girls.

And this week is not disappointing either. The things Ashley has made this week? A birdhouse, a hummingbird feeder, a bird feeder, and a few other things she will bring home on Friday. She attends flag ceremonies each morning with the pledge of allegiance and Girl Scout pledge, and then spends her day outside playing games, making things, attending presentations (on Monday they had someone bring in animals for them to pet).

And I don't necessarily know all this because Ashley tells me because getting Ashley to tell us all about her day is hard. She gives us bits and pieces, but I think mainly she is tired by the end of the day and the third degree by me isn't the thing she wants to endure. No, I know what she does all day because the camp director not only send us daily emails, but she also sends us pictures. Hundreds of pictures that I can see exactly what they did that day. Like pitch a tent. Or decorate a pet rock (it was raining ALL DAY yesterday, so I think they had some backup arts and crafts stuff to do).

And being outside all day and learning about recycling and reusing? Priceless. I am very impressed with this week. She is attending another camp the first week in July that she is even more excited about because she will have friends at that one. This week, it's just her, and she's fine. She has made new friends. It still shocks me sometimes that Ashley is only five and here she is, getting dropped off at a camp where she know no one, and she does it. No problems, nothing. But Ashley does idolize older girls, and they have high school Girl Scouts (I can't remember what they are, Cadets? Juniors?) helping to run the camp. I think she likes talking to them.

The only issue with this camp? The shirt. She has to wear the same damn shirt every day, which I get. It is really easy to pick out her group in the pictures because they are all wearing red, but doing laundry every night isn't what I signed up for. And of course, the inevitable happened. I forgot to put the shirt in the dryer last night. And then didn't realize it until we were going to get dressed this morning. So yes, as I was reminded several times, it was my fault Ashley was going to camp with a slightly damp shirt. All my fault.