End of Day 1, CSP 2011

I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! The first game of the day, Pop go the Weasels, was hilarious. We covered the kids in balloons and armed each one with a banana....the only thing we could think of that was downright silly and most likely to pop a balloon without damaging one of the kids. But by the time each kiddo only had a few balloons each, the bananas weren't as sharp so we declared all three kids winners and gave them a bonus buck to spend at the Camp Store later in the day.

Last year, I gave Attitude Awards for good behaviour. Most of the awards cost $1 each from Michaels or the Dollar Store. I put them all in a box which was then put in a pillow case so they couldn't see the prizes and had to choose by feel. This year, we came up with a different twist and Joe made a store out of a big box with flaps that open up to display the wares. Attitude Awards are given spontaneously by the Camp Chief (that's me) for being helpful, friendly, caring, etc.
Kids catch on quickly. "Sweetie-pie (that's me), do you need help"? The awards are the rubber-band bracelets called Silly Bandz which are then traded for goodies at the store, managed by Camp Staff Joe, who keeps it sealed with duct tape when it isn't open for business.

The Camp Compound has a shower (cold water, of course! This is Camp!), a swimming pool (Easy-Set pool = bought last year for about $50 and is definitely the best CSP investment I've ever made), a large screened tent with three air mattresses, each with their own mosquito net. a badminton court and an activity table with all sorts of art/crafts projects.

The kids have been great. Lots of laughter, no fighting and no tears! My grandkids are 11 (Eva) and 9 (Ethan). Joe & Anne's granddaughter Gia, is 8. I was a bit concerned that an uneven number might mean that one kiddo gets left out, but they play together beautifully. Even the Camp Staff is having a wonderful time.

RULES & REGULATIONS

1. Campers will bring a good attitude and be prepared to have six days of fun!
2. Campers will attend the morning flag raising and lowering of the flag at 6 PM.
3. Campers will say please and thank you to the staff and to each other.
4. Campers will wear flip-flops or shoes when playing outside except when they're on the Camp Compound lawn.
5. All Campers will participate in the daily schedule which will be posted each morning on the Camp bulletin board.
6. Campers WILL NOT TATTLE ON EACH OTHER!
7. If Campers don't follow the rules, camp activities will come to a screeching halt until Campers get in line!
8. Campers will make beds and tidy bedroom each morning and must pass staff inspection. (unless you've won a 'CAMP STAFF WILL MAKE YOUR BED' award, then you will be excused)
9. Campers must do daily snake patrol once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Campers must NOT step on snakes!
10. Campers will do daily KP duty which includes setting table, clearing table, assist with meal preparation.
11. After attending FIRST AID CLASS on day one, Campers will form the FIRST AID CORPS, using the first aid kit to treat their own, and other's injuries, including bear bites.
12. Campers will hang up wet towels and suits after swimming on Camp clothesline.
13. Attitude Awards, otherwise known as bonus bucks, will be awarded for enthusiasm, kindness and for laughing so hard that your sides hurt. If you tattle on another camper, you will lose one bonus buck.
14. Crabby Campers will not be tolerated and will be hosed off with cold water until they have a change of attitude! NO EXCEPTIONS!

First Day of Camp Sweetie-Pie 2011!!

Gia is here already but camp can't begin until Eva and Ethan arrive. It was scheduled to start at 10:00 but Ethan has a morning dental appointment so we've pushed back the official opening until noon. Lots of surprises in store for the kids!! I've cut & pasted today's schedule below which has messed up the format but that's OK because camp is where we chill out and don't worry about the little things!

CAMP SWEETIE-PIE

Wednesday - DAY 1

10 AM Campers arrive and are greeted by Camp Staff

followed by a tour of Camp Compound.

10:15 Official opening of CAMP SWEETIE-PIE 2011

Solemn ceremony and raising of the CSP flag.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!

POP go the weasels

12:00 Lunch Bell

12:45 Down to the creek!

3:00 30 minute R & R for pooped CSP Staff & Campers

3:30 Creativity table

4:30 Free time for swimming in CSP pool, badminton, frisbee

5:30 Campers do assigned KP duties for dinner

6:00 Dinner Bell!!

Dinner: Famous CSP Burgers!

Lowering of the Flag

After dinner S’mores & movie!

9:00 PM: Lights out for tired campers

So, what is POP Go the Weasels? We like to start camp with a fun game so Joe, Anne and I put our heads together and came up with this. Each kid will be covered in big balloons (we're hoping loops of duct tape will hold the balloons to the kid's clothes). Each kid will be given a banana.
The rules: you have to pop the other kid's balloons using only the banana. You are not allowed to use your feet, teeth or hands, other than to hold the banana. Will a banana pop a balloon? We hope so, otherwise we'll have to come up with plan number two. The last one with an un-popped balloon is the winner and gets a Silly Bandz bracelet, otherwise known as Camp Bonus Bucks, which can be used to buy something at the Camp Store every evening.....but more about the store in a later post!

For some reason, in this blog format I can't choose where the photos go. In the photo at the top, my buddy Joe, otherwise known as CAMP STAFF or Poppa, by granddaughter Gia, is blowing up LOTS of balloons for POP go the Weasels! What a trooper!

Camp Sweetie-Pie 2011!

Wow! Camp Sweetie-Pie 2011 starts in two weeks! We're doing it a little earlier this year as I have other obligations in July, which is when we usually have camp.

This year, we're adding a third camper, Gia...who is the granddaughter of my friends and part time neighbors, Joe & Anne Garcia. This past winter, I took my grandkids to Phoenix for a couple of days where we met up with Joe, Anne and Gia. The kids got along so well, we've invited Gia to join us for Camp Sweetie-Pie.

The official invitations are in the mail and I'm taking extra vitamins.

You are invited to the fourth annual

Camp Sweetie-pie!

Where? Sweetie-Pie’s House

When? June 1 – June 6, 2011

Please be at camp by 10 am on June 1^st.

DON’T * BE * LATE!

SURVIVOR!

We had a busy day! There was lots to do as tomorrow is the last day of camp.

The kids were dying to know what 'Who Will Survive' meant on the camp schedule. This morning they were told that their pirate ship had sunk but they managed to swim to a deserted island - saving only two buckets. In each bucket was a large plastic trash bag, ten feet of twine, some twist ties, a knife, a piece of fabric and about 12" of duct tape. With these supplies they had make a flag on a 6' long pole, make a shelter and sharpen a stick in order to spear a 'potato fish' in the 'bucket lagoon'. I was the observer to make sure the kids were using the knives properly and followed the rules.

It rained most of the afternoon so we played poker for hours. I gave a lecture on the evils of gambling but the kids loved it anyway, especially playing with real poker chips. In order to feel like the afternoon was a little productive, we tie-dyed shirts. I bought both the dye (in smaller packages, enough for two shirts) and white t-shirts at Michaels. (Can't forget the fun the kids had filling water balloons - then filling their shirts)

Day 3 - Halfway through

Thunderstorms have threatened for most of the day so I nixed the afternoon expedition to the creek. Because of this, I put off SURVIVOR until tomorrow. Instead we caught up with lots of little projects...like learning how to play marbles. All kids have marbles - but how many actually know what to do with them? Well now - my grandkids do.

This morning we went letterboxing and found one hidden on a public trail. Eva stamped her journal with the stamp in the letterbox then added her stamp, name and date to the letterbox's journal. There's a public trail just a short walk from my house, so tomorrow we'll hike the trail and hide our own letterbox then will post the directions online for others to find.

Back at the house, the grandkids learned how to play knucklebones! I grew up in New Zealand where kids played knucklebones, similar to jacks but not quite. Onesies, twosies, threesies, foursies, scatters ones through scatters fours, eggs in the basket, horse in the stable etc. We googled "knucklebones" and found something on youtube called 'five stones' that is similar. The kids have been practicing all afternoon and are getting pretty good at it.

Before camp, I picked up a load of flattened cardboard boxes at the recycle center. This morning - I gave them the boxes and a roll of duct tape with the idea that they make a fort - but they had other things in mind to do today...so the fort is on the back burner....as are all those cardboard boxes that have to go back to the recycle center. Perhaps they're getting too old for forts!

It's the end of day three and we're still going strong! Two more days to go - then I start thinking about Camp Sweetie Pie 2011. This year has given me some good ideas....

Day 2 - Camp Sweetie-Pie 2010

I'm sure I added at least five years to my life today by riding down the rapids (on the creek near my house) in a little blow-up canoe. The kids were taking turns - so it seemed only fair that I got a turn too. We're lucky to have the creek so close to the house...but it takes twice as long to get there and back as the blackberries are ripe. Today we had intentions of picking enough for a pie, but only a few dozen ended up in the bag...but they'll be good on ice cream tonight!

The creek is fun for exploring and catching crawdads - and it's deep enough to swim in, but this year I bought an Easy-Set pool. It's only takes an hour or two to set up - but you do need level ground. As I have only one small spot in my yard that is reasonably level, I bought the smallest pool - only 8' across and 30" deep, but it includes a filter and pump (on sale at Big 5 Sporting Goods for $50. Walmart and Target stock them and you can buy them online). I found a pool test kit at Home Depot for $6. I check the chlorine level nightly and add chlorine bleach if needed. It's small but the kids are in it at least four hours a day. It's small enough to easily empty and pack away at the end of camp.

This morning we did letterboxing - which went over well with ten year old Eva - but 8-year old Ethan thought it was boring and the grass made him itch (he's got allergies). We'll be hiding a letterbox on a public trail near the house that the kids can check when they come to visit.

I had planned for the kids to learn how to play chess this year - but so far, there have been too many other fun things to do...so they have yet to play a game. Perhaps tonight we'll learn how to play poker! (I even bought poker chips). Is this leading my grandchildren astray? And as the mother-of-all-crawdads didn't take Eva's bait, we'll be eating hamburgers for dinner, followed by s'mores. If the sky is clear we'll count shooting stars and the kids can run around in the dark with their light sticks. The only thing missing to add to the fun are lightening bugs - which aren't found in this part of the country!

Tomorrow (the kids don't know about it yet) we're playing SURVIVOR! They will be told that their pirate ship has sunk and all they could save was a bucket each - which happens to contain 2 trash bags, 6' of rope, a dish towel - and a few more things. They have to do a variety of tasks including making a signal flag and a shelter. I think it'll be a hit as they love to watch Survivor and Man vs Wild.

The Great White Monsters!

I put 'The Great White Monsters' on the schedule for today. The kids made a lot of guesses as to what this could possibly be, especially when I told them to wear their bathing suits for the event.

Ingredients for Great White White Monsters? Two cans of whipped cream and sprinkles.

I started the fun with a dollop of whipped cream on their heads....then the kiddos took turns decorating each other.

This year I've added ATTITUDE AWARDS! Camp SP guidelines (they get a copy at the beginning of camp) reads: "Attitude Awards will be given daily for enthusiasm, kindness and for laughing so hard that your sides hurt. If you tattle on your brother or sister you have to put an attitude award back in the box." The Attitude Awards are in a big basket, which in turn is in a pillow case - so the kids can put a hand in the basket without seeing the contents. They have until I count to five to grab something. The dollar store and Michaels are good sources for inexpensive prizes but I also added cards that read, 'you get to choose tonight's movie' or 'Camp Staff will make your bed for you this morning'. Some of the items are small crafts projects that they're having fun completing. There are no food prizes though as I don't believe in rewarding with food. The first day, they were allowed to dip into the attitude award box three times....just enough to be fun.

Thanks to my neighbors, Mike and Milena, for giving me lots of little prizes for the attitude box!