Two difficult child's -- Two Summer Camps

gcvmom

Here we go again!
We leave tomorrow afternoon to drop difficult child 1 at his week-long summer camp for kids with Crohn's and colitis.

Then on Sunday, difficult child 2 will be going to his own special 5-night summer camp for the very first time! It's geared towards kids with developmental disabilities, but they also take "normal" kids and kids with mental health issues. I am SO excited to have found this camp and really, really hope he has the positive experience I think it will be. He really needs this.

It's going to be VERY strange having only one kid in the house for close to a week! easy child and I will have lots of fun "girl" time together :D But I bet after the first few days she gets a little lonely for her brothers. ;)
 
M

ML

Guest
I'm so envious. I hope you enjoy this time!

I WISH I could get manster involved with camps like this but the "normal" ones would be hard for him and the ones that allow kids with developmental and or neuro issues wouldn't appeal to him because he'd be upset I put him in with "Special Education kids". Argh.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Thanks TM!

ML, I know what you mean about having a kid who doesn't really fit in with either group. I was also apprehensive about sendig difficult child 2 to this camp. But when we were at a water park on Thursday, there were two young men with Downs in the wave pool near us. They were having blast, and I could see difficult child 2 eyeing them a little because of their physical features. He knows what the syndrome is all about, but I seized the moment to tell him there would probably be kids like that at his camp, as well as kids like his High-Functioning Autism (HFA) friend from school, as well as kids like HIM and all types in between. He seemed okay with it. He has such a big place in his heart for kids who are different that I figured of all my kids, he would be the most open to a camp like this.

I'll let you know how it goes next weekend!

:)
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
I am so happy for you and a bit envious as well.
I don't think K is at a point yet to be able to do something like this.
Maybe when she is there will one available!
I hope they have a great time. :)
 

crazymama30

Active Member
Wow. I am glad the kids have this oppurtunity and glad you have the break. Hopefully husband does not play the difficult child role and you will get a break. Have fun with easy child having girl time.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Thanks Toto and CM!

Yeah, I hope husband behaves, too! :p

difficult child 1 nonchalantly told us we could LEAVE not long after getting him checked into camp this afternoon. No escorting him to his cabin this year or nervous good-byes for us. This is his third summer at this camp so he's an old pro at it now!

difficult child 2 is SO excited tonight about leaving for his camp in the morning he's not sleeping yet and it's nearly midnight! Yikes. Hopefully he'll sleep at camp. It's too soon for the Depakote bump to really help much. Oh well! It's summer!

:goodnight:
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Thanks, Sharon.

I dropped off difficult child 2 this afternoon and waited around until the buses left. It seemed like a really positive environment. The people in charge were organized, the counselors seemed to genuinely like working with kids, and some of them were former campers themselves.

Many of the kids were somewhere on the Autism spectrum. One younger boy in difficult child 2's cabin was VERY hyper, VERY loud, VERY reactive, VERY inappropriate with his language and gestures. One of the counselors said the boy had ADHD and bipolar, and assured me that he was really a sweet kid who usually settles down once he gets to the camp. Fortunately, that boy has a 1:1, as does another boy in the cabin. Plus there are two "regular" counselors and one trainee -- all for 12 boys. Seems like a good ratio.

difficult child 2 seemed to be "sizing up" the kids as he met them, but he definitely fits in with these kids. ;) He already made a buddy to sit with on the bus, and they seemed very happy to have found eachother.

Now I'm sitting at home with no one here since husband and easy child went to see his family for the day -- they're celebrating 5 summer birthdays before the nieces and nephews go back to college. husband told me not to bother driving down since I already put in 100 miles today and 275 miles with difficult child 1's camp yesterday.

Friday should be interesting, since both boys get picked up from camp that day. I think the schedule should work out okay, though. I'll head north to pick up difficult child 1 by noon and then back track 50 miles to pick up difficult child 2 in the late afternoon (hopefully the bus will be on time).
 
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