Rough

One of our kids came to camp and couldn't sit down. At first I thought she was just being annoying, but she was actually unable to sit. She had to lie on her stomach all day and couldn't do any of our dances. At one point she lifted her shirt on accident, uncovering a bunch of purple bruises on her stomach. I asked her what was wrong and she said she fell. I talked to the supervisor of our partner program and he says she really did fall, but it's disturbing and I'm still debating what I should do about it. My heart just aches for these kids....especially when I get frustrated at them for losing focus or forgetting to memorize their lines because WHAT AM I THINKING?! Of course they can't memorize their lines. It's nearly impossible when they have such troubled homes.

On a completely different note.......here is my favorite camper quote to date:

Alexis (7 yrs old): Last night my little brother (2 yr old) dreamed that he was Martin Luther King Jr.

................................oh wait, no..........that was Elmo.

Circus!

Only 8 more rehearsals until the show. The kids did their first run-through today and I was quite impressed. They are forgetting a lot of lines, but they were able to stumble through it without a lot of help, which is a good sign. Tomorrow we are building the set and taking them to the circus!

Made in Asia

So it turns out the little boy's Aunt was lying! The triplets saw the boys running around the neighborhood the other day. This makes me even more sad for the boys because I think they really liked camp, but it wasn't the "cool" thing to do. UGH. So dumb.

The girls were so hilarious on the ride to camp today. I went on the freeway for the first time and D pointed to the cars ahead and said, "I've always wondered who is at the very front of the freeway. Someday, when I'm grown, I'm going to wake up really early and be the first one in front of everyone." Her sister jumped in saying, "Yeah! I've always wondered that too! Also, how did all of these streets get here? It must have taken FOREVER to make them......like at least 30 years, right?" I'm around kids so often now that I started thinking, "YEAH. When WERE these roads made? It must have been a million years ago."

Then S started talking about how everything she owns seems to be made in China to which D said, "Yeah, why can't something be made in Asia or Egyptian or something???"

Things to think about, guys.

Big smiles

This week has been so crazy and the wedding hasn't even happened yet. I had to skip work on Wednesday to throw the bachelorette party and - of course - shit went down at the camp while I was gone. The Reverend that helps me transport the kids called to say that our oldest boy and lead character got in a fight with his Aunt and had to move to Washington with his dad THAT DAY. I couldn't believe it. I almost cried. He was so excited about learning his lines and he just got completely ripped from his home. It was absolutely heartbreaking. It also meant that his little brother, our youngest camper, wasn't going to come to camp anymore either. He was by far the funniest little kid ever. I am so sad.

Anyway, I came back to work at the end of camp today after the Bridesmaids Luncheon and the kids all rushed over to give me a hug. I wasn't wearing my couselor clothes so they thought I was very glamorous and grabbed at my hair a lot. They all wanted to show me the new dance they learned while I was away. It was SO ADORABLE. Seriously. Everyone was smiling ear to ear as they danced. Even the little boys were enthusiastic (they always act like they hate performing). I started to tear up as they finished the song. They were so proud of themselves and so excited to show me what they had learned. I just can't believe these kids could barely talk to each other two weeks ago. Moments like those make this camp worthwhile.

shut up

Certain people are determined to be unhappy. No matter what you do to please them, they find a way to stay completely miserable. I always feel like the person responsible for making sure that everyone else is having a good time. Maybe it's the big sister in me or maybe it's just my personality. Dan and I talked about it at work this morning. He and I are very similar in this respect. We are generally happy and positive people. Other people, are not. It's annoying. It's even more annoying because I feel like it's my job to make it better and it's not my job! Why do I feel that way??

Bastille Day

My best friend is getting married in 6 days and I am a bridesmaid in her wedding. 6 days. I can't believe it! In less than a year, they hope to have a child. It's so strange to me. I'll be going out to a bar while they'll be at home with a baby. Completely weird.

eww

This theatre smells like rotten sandwiches.