When To Call The Search Party

Today I am embarking on an adventure. Or a suicide mission. I still haven't decided. You see, later this afternoon, when I am all done working with actual four year olds, I will head off to work with intellectual four year olds. That's right. I am going to be spending some time with my daughter's 7th grade class.

This week, every 7th grader in her school (and there are a lot of them--hundreds and hundreds) will be heading to Camp Tecumseh for three days and two nights of learning through camping. And I, nutjob that I am, have volunteered to be a cabin mom. Although, I must admit, I am not staying the whole time, because A) I have to work on Friday, and B) I am a nutjob, but not a complete nutjob.

They have divided the 7th grade science classes and half of them are on the trip Monday through Wednesday, while the other half goes Wednesday through Friday. Maggie is a bit disappointed that most of her friends, who have different science teachers, are not on the same trip as her. She is still very excited about the trip though. And even happier that I am going along and not her dad. He did (jokingly) threaten to go, be a cabin dad, and glare at all of the boys. I told him to save that for when she goes to Washington D.C. next year in 8th grade. After all, that is a much longer trip and he's much more likely to have a bigger impact if he can spend more time with those boys...

Anyway, this won't be too hard a job for me. I don't actually have to do any teaching. I just have to herd the 7th graders where they need to go (a bit like herding cats, and an awful lot like working with my 4 year olds.) and persuade them to go to sleep when it's lights out. When they have their "school" time and are engaged in lessons, parents are free to leave camp, read, hike, nap, whatever. I am looking forward to spending some time with a couple of new books and taking some photo walks out on the trails. I've been watching the weather forecasts and they have been saying words that sound like "rain showers." I have been plugging my ears and singing "LALALALA I can't hear you!"

Because you know what doesn't sound like fun? Being outdoors at camp, slogging through the rain with a bunch of soggy, hormone-addled, hyper, 13 year olds. I have a feeling that the cabins will smell a whole lot like wet dog if it rains. And I like rain and I like dogs, but I don't like the kick to my olfactory senses when you combine the two.

So, I wanted you to know why you won't be hearing from me for a couple of days. I am preparing you now. Hopefully I'll be back by the weekend with plenty of blog fodder and possibly pictures. If you don't hear from me by Monday, it either means I've been lost on a trail somewhere and am living off berries and grubs, in which case, send out the search parties. Or, it means that I have been overwhelmed by too much time with teenagers and have taken to my bed, in which case, send booze and chocolate.