Lesson

The day started with a text from M that let me know our cook had texted her with the news that the refrigerator broke and she was throwing away all of the food.  I called the repair guy we use and then drank some coffee while getting the boys ready for the day like I always do.

When I got to the dining hall, the cook had figured out breakfast and was working on lunch and we both shrugged our shoulders and agreed to wait until we heard what the repair guy had to say. I called the insurance company to begin a claim, ate a bagel and negotiated breakfast with two kids.

After breakfast, M came to my trailer and had a crying breakdown. She has been going nonstop for over a month. She doesn’t take breaks. She was tired and overwhelmed and was losing it. We talked for a while and then I told her to take the rest of the morning and relax and everything would be fine.

That last part, the part where I told her, “it’s going to be an easy morning, we’ve got it under control”- I take responsibility for jinxing us…

The refrigerator repair man, the health department and the mosquito sprayers all drove in like a caravan. I touched base with the mosquito guys (they knew where to go and what to do), then I chatted with the repair guy (he needed some time to check it out), walked around with the woman from the health department (all was looking good, even without a working refrigerator). I went to the mudpit to watch the kids jump in and make sure everyone was doing ok.

At lunch, I called the clinic to schedule an X-Ray for one of the staff who hurt her arm jumping into the mud pit. Nanny left right after lunch to drive the injured staff and I took the boys to our camper for rest time.

By the end of the day, the injured staff (and my nanny!) were back (just a sprain, she’ll be fine in a few days). We’re waiting on a part for the refrigerator, so that’s still up in the air. I had 2 calls to insurance, and paperwork for both the refrigerator situation and the workers comp injury. And M came back and seemed a little calmer and less upset.

I feel for her. But I also gave her some advice that I have learned after many years of sprinting across camp from early morning- late night. I told her that it’s ok to respond to someone with, “I’m dealing with something right now, but I will be there soon” and then take a few moments to brush your teeth, change out of your pjs, and get yourself ready for the day. There are only a few instances (very rare) where you actually need to run across camp. “Blood or fire” is my phrase, and when that happens, RUN. But otherwise, it’s ok for people to wait.

It’s also ok to not be available. Camp used to revolve around me and when I wasn’t there, everything would come to a halt. That’s terrible management. Instead, let’s empower every single staff member to step up and take initiative and run the program whether we are there or not. And if one of us isn’t there, others will step up and fill in.

It’s taken me many years to learn these lessons. And I still struggle with them sometimes. She cares so much about camp, and I get that, because I do too. But it doesn’t benefit anyone (including  camp) to run yourself ragged.

Running

What a day. I feel like I ran a marathon. I feel awesome actually.

Sometimes these days, I make it through the whole day without doing much. I answer emails and help out here and there, but it's not like the days before kids when I ran from one thing to the next from the moment I woke up until late at night. Today was a running day. And I loved it.

I spent the morning on the phone. We have some super needy parents of campers in the coming weeks and I talked to a few of them this morning. Then two counselors came to talk to me about another counselor who is difficult to work with and how much that is stressing them out.

I spent a long time on the phone with multiple kitchen equipment stores, learning about commercial ovens and trying to find one to buy. I need it ASAP, but also, I have NO money. Finding a cheap oven quickly is not going to be easy.

At rest time, M and I met with the counselor who is being difficult. She doesn't feel like she fits in. It was an hour long conversation and I hope it helped, but I think we will need to talk with her again.

A little boy has poison ivy on his face. So M and I spent the day going back and forth over whether to take him to urgent care or not, and trying to help him feel better.

A teen leader got mad and stormed off, so I met with her and then with her counselor.

I lifeguarded swimming class.

In between all of these things, I answered a million phone calls, emails, nursed my baby several times and tried to spend as much time as possible with a (VERY CRABBY TODAY) toddler.

I found myself running from one thing to the next. And while I never quite felt like I caught up and I was exhausted, it felt good to be useful and so fun to be in the center of the chaos of camp life.

Everything is Broken

Last week, outside of the dining hall, it smelled like sewage. Gross, but no big deal. That just means the septic tank needs to be pumped out. I called and scheduled them for today. Last week one of the ovens in the dining hall stopped working. I called and scheduled for someone to come out and fix it (probably just a part that can be swapped out). No big deal.

The septic guys came today. And the tank is EMPTY. Like, you can see the bottom. Considering it's been a while (like years) since it's been pumped out, and considering we're on week 3 of camp, that tank should be pretty full. Apparently the guy that pumps out septic tanks doesn't actually do anything else with them, so I had to call back to get a different guy to come out. He's coming tomorrow. He's going to tell me it's cracked and I need a new one and it will cost $20,000. Since he hasn't been here yet, I'm still holding onto hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a less expensive problem that is going on. 

About an hour after I found out about the tank, the guy who was out to fix the oven called back. He was waiting to hear back about the part that he'd ordered. The part has been discontinued. "So does that mean my oven is discontinued?" I asked. Yes. He's been fixing things at camp since I started and I know that if there was something he could do for me, he would. So I need a new oven.

I do not have any spare cash laying around for either issue. 

M and I were discussing this a little before it was time for the campfire. And then we got a walkie talkie call asking where more graham crackers would be. NOT at the dining hall was the answer. 

I felt a little like everything was falling apart and I couldn't do anything to help anything. 

We found some sugar cookies in the freezer. So we made sugar cookie s'mores. At least one problem solved for the day. 

At the campfire, all of the groups got up and sang their cheers. The Leaders-in-Training group is 10th graders- all of whom have been coming to camp since they were 9 and 10 years old. Their cheer was actually a song and as I watched them, I near burst into tears. It is AMAZING to watch kids grow up. I have memories of all of them over the years. And seeing them as 16 year olds.... I don't actually have words. It was a sweet moment that made up for a rough day. 

Jakob

Jakob started coming to camp when he was 8. He bit a kid once. He ran away from his counselor and hid in the woods (more than once). He fought with his brother in the cabin (many times). He was a weird kid. He didn't listen. His parents were clueless and unhelpful when I called. He and his brother came 2-3 times each summer. Whenever I saw their names on the registration list, I cringed. And I considered (several times) telling their mom that they couldn't come back to camp.

When he was 10 or 11, he got to camp and refused to get out of the car. I was already dreading having him at camp and I briefly thought, well, maybe he won't come...

And then his mother dragged him out of the car. Like, he was holding onto the doorframe screaming "I'm not going" while she pulled at his feet. I am laughing as I type this because I remember checking in campers, greeting parents like normal while he SCREAMED in the background. 

When she finally got him out of the car, she literally peeled out, tires spinning in place in the gravel before she was gone. He sat on the road and refused to move. 

I figured he'd snap out of it soon enough.

The counselors called out names and everyone left to move into their cabins. He continued to sit there. 

I figured he'd get bored.

Everyone went to the dining hall for dinner. He continued to sit there. 

I sat next to him and tried to reason with him. He started throwing rocks at me. I was calm. I reasoned some more. He threw more rocks. 

I finally picked up a handful of rocks and threw them back at him and told him to get up and go to dinner. Probably not one of my finer moments in youth development, but he did. And he made it through the week. And ever since then, we've had a strange bond. 

Jakob is 16 now and a Leader-in-Training. He LOVES camp. He's excited to be a leader. He wants to be a counselor. He's helpful in activities. He's awesome. 

And every time I look at him, I can't help but shake my head and laugh a little and think about what an awful little kid he was and how much he's changed in 8 years.