Close to Nature Camp

This past week my boys enjoyed a Close to Nature day camp through the Anne Springs Close Greenway. They loved it and were so sad when Friday was over. They've asked to go again next summer, and until then, we're working to schedule some follow-up pool dates with new friends they made.  

I dropped them off at 9:00 each morning, after a thorough application of bug repellent and sunscreen, and enjoyed having several hours of time to spend with just Annalyse and Jax. I also checked a few projects off my list - painting walls and rearranging furniture is much easier to do with two kids rather than four! 

Before I knew it, 2:00 rolled around and it was time to pick up my boys. Each afternoon they'd saunter to the car while talking with friends - clearly in no rush to get in the van and head home. But, once they got in it was nonstop chatter about what they did that day.

"I got 10 arrows to shoot and I hit three balloons on the target and got another four arrows stuck on the target but they weren't worth as many points because they didn't pop the balloons."

"I went kayaking with Charlie and he was kind of disobeying the rules and trying to rock the boat. I told him he better stop because if we fell in the lake those things that suck blood could get on us!"

"Today we designed these bags to carry our water bottles for when we hike in the woods. They're really helpful but I have to remember to carry it across my body so that it's not like I'm carrying a purse."

"We made a campfire and roasted marshmallows. We were each allowed to have three but someone didn't want theirs so that meant I got to have six!"

Each day involved archery (a new favorite with both boys!); kayaking (which made them feel super cool because they went out on the lake without an adult in the boat); a craft (and I now don a bandanna-type necklace with wooden beads); a hike in the woods ("The funnest hikes were when we could walk in the creek and catch frogs!"); a group game (some camp games never change - Spud anyone?); and a picnic lunch (and they had the audacity to ask today why I don't write notes on their napkins for lunch at home everyday).

Full mornings outside at camp, followed by full afternoons at the pool, followed by full evenings playing basketball or football, meant quick-to-sleep boys who didn't budge until I would woke them at 7:30 the following morning.

Aahhhh, summer is in full swing.

(A special thanks to their camp leader who thought to snap and email a few pics of the boys during the week!)