Page 19: Working With Children Be Like

1) When kids get out their "flashlights" and search their tents with military precision for bugs then scream and run to me when they find one. You went looking for bugs? You found one? And now you act surprised?

2) In the dining hall line where the children, slowly pile their plate with food. One fry at a time...

3) The counselor reaction when we found out the eighth graders had sneaked into the staff tent and taken all of the Coke (they drink Cola, a cheaper soda. We stock up on good stuff and hide it)

4) When I spent my morning off at the mud obstacle course with fifth grade boys because it looked like fun and then after we jumped in the lake they ran off to their next session and I collected up all of their wellies "rain boots" and took them across camp back to the obstacle course because they forgot -_-

5) When sassy girls ask me how many s'mores I've had then tell me how many calories are in each

6) Trying to serve sixth graders at a BBQ
    (The concept of queuing has yet to move across the pond)

Page 13: Five Recent Happy Things

*Names of campers have been changed

#1
Yesterday at dinner, rice'n'ribs, Alice kept making Mindy self conscious about the rib sauce she was getting all over her face. It was funny in a cute kid kind of way but you could see she is sensitive and was conscious of people looking at her and teasing.
Being the appointed role model and responsible adult I took the ketchup bottle, squirted it on my hands and smeared it on my cheeks (war stripes!).
"Now we've both got sauce on our face"

#2
Doing the "flashlights out now girls" round on the 6th grade camp girls out. I popped my head into a teepee and said "Okay, time to stop finding out who loves who and go to sleep now" as a throwaway comment.
They all froze.
"How did you know?"
I joined them in the circle and suddenly every camper had a dilemma and wanted my advice.
"What do I do if my best friend and I like the same guy?"
"How can I tell if he likes me?"
"He likes me but I don't like him"
So I listened and gave advice. One of them then said "Oh my gawd, you're like...the boy expert!"

My reaction to "You're the boy expert"

#3
The day it rained and I'd promised the 6th grade boys that morning that we would make s'mores at the camp out.
Can't make fire with wet wood!
Can't let the kids down!
Damn.
Once it had stopped raining (but the forest was soaked) I ran to Outback and spent an hour slowly burning a bale of hay so the fire pit ground was dry and Alex later made a fire.
The 6th grade boys got s'mores. Relief.

S'more': Roasted marshmallow, two gram crackers and some Hersheys

#4

Counselor: We're going to milk the cow tomorrow and get the milk!

Camper: Milk doesn't come from cows. Milk comes from supermarkets. Duh!

#5

My afternoon walk to work. Yes.