First day of...camp!

Photo taken at Skidmore College on Sunday

Bode started camp today.  I was so emotional!  It is only day camp (meaning a few hours and then I pick him up).  But still...it was like preschool all over again. I may have been even more emotional today than when he started preschool!   It was a new place, and I felt like I was dropping my baby off with strangers.  Who does that?!!  Why would I voluntarily leave my child alone with a bunch of people I don't know? (I know. I know I need to grow up.)

Bode was absolutely fine.  In fact, I started tearing up even more when we got there and he took off running toward the other kids! He didn't even look back.

And then I got all Glenn Close/Fatal Attraction/stalker-like by getting into my car and driving around to where they were playing outside. I sat in my car and watched Bode. I wanted to check on him and make sure that he was doing okay.  

Of course, he was doing fine.  I watched for a few minutes and then drove away.

I was back 25 minutes later.  The next portion of camp was swimming.  Before camp started, I had asked the camp director how many instructors and life guards would be in the pool. I explained that Bode doesn't really swim yet.  I wasn't satisfied with the lady's vague response about how he would be wearing a bubble and that he could stay in the shallow end of the pool.  She answered my questions, and then said that it was simply "play time" and "at your own pace."  I imagined Bode clinging to the wall of the pool for the entire hour.  I asked her if I could join in the pool time and she agreed.

When Bode saw me waiting for him at the pool, he looked happy.  When I dropped him off at camp, I had already told him that I would be waiting for him at the pool, and that we'd swim together.  I'm glad that I joined him in the pool.  The other kids were more into "swimming" than bobbing around in the pool in the bubble (like Bode).  A lot of kids were jumping into the pool, too.  Bode is not at that level; he needs someone within arm's reach of him at all times while he is in the pool. So I'm glad that I was there.

I'm also glad that I went because I had fun!  It was fun to hang out with Bode in the pool.  And I think he enjoyed it, too. RWF and I are talking about a family swim on Saturdays.  RWF usually does swim detail on Saturdays while I do pick up and drop off. I think both of us swimming with the kiddos might be a good thing. I know it would streamline a lot of things, and RWF could probably use the help (tho I also think he enjoys that swimming is his special activity with the kids).

After swimming, I dressed Bode (while the other camp instructors ran around like maniacs getting all the other kids dried off and dressed), doused him with lots of sunscreen and sent him on his way back into the camp world, alone.  

When I picked him up a few hours later, he looked tired.  I think it is good for him to be around other kids. And I think he needs these types of activities. 

Tomorrow, he is on his own (no swimming tomorrow).  I will  have Miss Mia to keep me company.   Today really felt like "summer" to me.  I have to admit...I'm not so into summer. I'm already excited about the new Fall clothes appearing online and in catalogues!

Happy Tuesday, friends.

xo