Camping

Every year, Grace's school takes the 4th graders on a 2 day, one night camping trip.  They stay in cabins in a retreat area and do all sorts of fun activities including canoeing, fishing, playing in the dirt, scavenger hunts, smores making, and watching "the video" about puberty.  Grace is a 4th grader and was thrilled to go.  I volunteered to be a "cabin mom".  I only did the overnight part so I wouldn't have to watch that video.  I thought it might be awkward and I was already subjected to it when I was a kid.

Here is a list of the bad and the good, no, the incredible parts of this trip:

The Bad
1)  The girl who bullies your daughter being assigned to your cabin and having to be an adult and not backhand her.
2)  Cockroaches in the cabin.
3)  50 girls wanting to take showers when there are only 3 shower stalls in the bathroom.
4)  Being in charge of 8 girls who all want to go in different directions, not listen, and who are exhausted and stinky.
5)  The death glares given to you by the cabin moms from the lower level of your very thinned floored cabin because they think you were letting your girls yell and stomp all over just to aggravate them. 
6)  Allergies.
7)  A loudly buzzing and fairly large bug flying in your ear as you're trying to fall asleep.

The Incredible
1)  The view.

2)  Watching Grace interact with her classmates.
3)  Grace not being embarrassed to be seen with me.

4)  Seeing an owl and still being absolutely terrified but not having a panic attack.
5)  Stargazing with Grace and her classmates.
6)  Smores.
7)  Hiking.
8)  Picnics.
9)  Witnessing the wonder on the kids' faces discovering nature.
10)  Sleeping in a cabin with the windows wide open and beautiful trees outside them.
11)  Giggles.
12)  Seeing Grace's teachers and principal dance.
13)  No ticks or mosquito bites.
14)  Having meals prepared for me and not having to clean up.
15)  Being in the cabin closest to the bathrooms.
16)  Having 2 moms to each cabin instead of one and having the other mom be fun and not a fun hater.
17)  Realizing that the boy who has had a crush on your daughter for 2 years is really pretty cool despite the fact that he eats his boogers...or so I've heard.
18)  Waking up to silence and getting to see my sweet, little girl.

Overall, I think it was a darn good trip.  Sure, there were a couple of scrapes and arguments and general disarray, but the kids had fun and so did the adults and there were some awesome memories made.