The moment I have been waiting for is finally here. I am well rested. (Took a four hour nap). I am finally clean. (Took my first shower in three days). But most importantly, I am back--from the woods--with thirty-six fourth graders. The trip to Fair View Lake truly was the best of times, and the worst of times. And, I would like to recap this two night-three day adventure with all of you.
The trip began back in Brooklyn. I stood by the door, "checking in" each student and their luggage.Throughout this process, I was asked by nine different kids why I was I...A). dressed funny B). wearing my pajamas and C). looked weird. Dontcha just love kids? ( Sidenote:I was wearing a sweatshirt, leggings and a headband.) What did they expect-- for me to arrive dressed in an evening gown to go camping?
After forty-five minutes of chaotic play on the playground, we were off, and on our way on the two hour bus ride to Fair View Lake, located in Newton, New Jersey. My impending doom was upon us.
Upon arrival at Fair View Lake's spacious camp grounds, we dispersed into our designated cabins. My roommates for the next three days would be five girls: Jane, Kristi, Laura, Lindsay and Britt. The girls, all best friends, decided that they wanted to give our bunk a name. Perfect, I thought--we're really bonding now. They decided to call themselves "The Tomboys." From that point on, whenever I needed to gather my girls in a jiffy, I would call out..."Tomboys, over hereee." Something about that was mildly hilarious to me. Even better than having a cabin refer to themselves as the tomboys...is actually being given an explanation on the vast differences between being a tomboy and being a girly-girl. The girls told me that I was definitely a girly-girl. Here's why: 1. I have bangs. 2. I sometimes wear dresses 3. I like pink, and 4. I have my ears pierced. (seven times). Glad we got that straightened out. Even though, I'm a "girly-girl," the tomboys still accepted me with open arms, and treated me like one of their own. The tomboys # 1 mission on our trip was to make sure that no boys could see through our windows. They took the liberty of covering every single window in the cabin with pieces of notebook paper.There. Now, we were safe from those mischievous wandering eyes.
One of the best parts of the trip was meal time. Meals were the one semi-form of a break that we ("the grown-ups") had (in between giving the students their ADHD medicine). We used our meal time to recharge, eat smiley faced french fries and tell funny stories that had happened in our individual cabins. And believe me, there were plenty of funny stories to tell. One student, William (the avid conversationalist from the Ellis Island trip) talked in his sleep, loudly, having a conversation with himself for FIVE hours. That's not an exxageration, that was the painful truth for my teacher friend-Fran who lived in William's cabin. The next day, a group of boys, were eating ice cream at our ice-cream social..Ilana and I saw them "cheers-ing" with their bowls of ice cream..."to bunk beds!" they said as they clinked their icecream sundaes together. Now, there's something you don't see too often in a bar--cheers-ing to bunk beds. Think I'll try that one this weekend.
Something that surprised me in my own cabin was the openness that the girls chose to take around me. While getting ready for the shower, Kristi was walking around completely naked. While, I can appreciate that--as that is one of my favorite pastimes...I usually don't do it with my 4th grade math teacher present. Kristi looked at me and said, "I mean, we're all girls right?" I had to agree with her--tomboys or girly-girls--we were all girls none the less. However, I couldn't help but thinking that teaching long division to her will never the same again.
Among others, topic of conversation in the cabin revolved around deodorant. Who wore it, what kinds there were, what they smelled like, and how often it is used. All of this deodorant talk made me reminiscent about my first armpit hair. It was the summer going into 7th grade, I had no boobs and no period--but I had my armpit hair. I refused to shave it. I was proud of the small black bush that was beginning to develop beneath my underarms. Needless to say, when I got home from camp, and my mom saw what was going on under there, I quickly lost that hair and I've been armpit hair free since 1996.
Another really amazing thing about the trip was getting to hang out with the kids in a non-pressure, non-academic, fun, easy going setting. I raced against all of the 4th grade boys. (Rumors of my speed had surfaced). It was literally me, and eighteen 9 and 10 year olds on the start line. Guess who won? Yeah, I'm pretty fast--but I've also got a twelve inch lead in the length of my legs. I played soccer and basketball too! I competed in a sandcastle competition, and I got to do it all in my sofees and a white hanes tee. (My favorite Camp Schodack attire).
We went boating on Fair View Lake. Four boys approached me asking to be in their group, (thinking that I would be an asset as a rower). Instead I got my group stuck on rocks in between two trees, the boys screamed bloody murder, while I tried to release us from the rocks...only to be rescued by the on-duty lifeguard in her canoe.
The worst of times on this trip, were actually surprisingly far and few between, but none the less there were some. 1). Being woken at six am by the tomboys to tell me that there was a wild turkey outside. I don't give a shit. 2).Being woken every half hour on the first night by Laura, asking me what I would do to comfort her if she couldn't fall asleep. Nothing, Laura. 3). The swamp hike. I don't think I need to go into any further detail. 4). Sleeping a total of five hours in two nights, and literally feeling like a dead woman walking...luckily my second wind kicked in, just in time for s'mores and camp fire songs. Overall, Camp Fair View Lake was a success, but I am glad to be back! I can't wait to have me time, not be a mother to five tomboys, and sleep in a bed not made of metal. Until May, '10--see ya later Fair View Lake!
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