Poconos and Boulder Field!

Camps over.   School hasn't started.   The two weeks between the two can be long fun!  This year, Todd was unable to break away from work for any good amount of time, so the boys and I had a pseudo-vacation without the biggest guy in the house.   We all missed him, particularly Turner, who asked for Daddy and for Toddy at least a dozen times a day, but we had fun.

We began with a second annual trip to the Poconos and Boulder Field.  This time with the Finks.  Last year, when we went with the Betesh's, the kids had a blast.  As a result, Chase and Ryder asked time and again if we could go back to the Poconos.  Luckily, Uncle Marc was kind enough to lend us his place.

After taking the drive with my chatterboxes, and spending three hours playing DJ to their song demands, I was ready for a breath of fresh, mountainous air.   But, before I got that, we went 6 kids, 2 moms to the supermarket.  That was quite the experience.  Luckily, the state store was right next door.

Once we got the to house and allowed the kids the time they needed to check out their surroundings and  capture the beauty of the park like setting, we walked to Aunt Barbara's house to spend some time by the lake.  The walk itself was an adventure where they kids picked up sticks and leaves and Ryder even noticed that "the air up here smells so awesome!"  When we got to the lake the kids decided, on a whim, to swim.  In their underwear.

Memories are built on moments like these.  Kids being kids, laughing, having absolutely no regard for modesty or dirty lakes.  Each of them was just being themself as they frolicked, as they splashed, as they laughed.   Turner was just being Turner as he pulled wipe after wipe from the packet to clean the outdoor furniture.

The kids had a great time together.   Chase, Ryder and Lilly all just wanted to be naked together, a fact that will cause much more concern in a few years.   Lilly took no issue with being the only girl and put on her hiking boots and lake swimming undies and laid backpack wonderfully.  She even found the humor in poop and boogies.  Jagger and Turner were just so happy to have a sleepover party with their best buddy.   Late nights, fun movies, ice cream.   Sounds fun to any kid.  Any adult, really.

The next day we headed to Boulder field.   What an amazing sight to see.   There, the boys climbed rocks, further than I had expected and I marveled at the beauty of my boys enjoying nature.  We picnicked on the rocks before heading home.

By weekends end the kids were exhausted (as were the moms) but had had a blast.  And, had bonded over naked bodies and fart sounds, bringing their friendship to a whole new level.

The next day we headed, in caravan, down to Margate.

Here are some more pictures of our adventure.

ABC, 123

Every summer the Busy Bees at Briarwood Day Camp perform a camp show.  Being that this is our first summer, this was a new experience for us.  The boys were excited about from the get go and walked around the house singing their songs, which included ABC by the Jackson 5.

When the boys first started singing the song at home they couldn't believe that I KNEW who the Jackson 5 were.  And better, that I would have their CD.  (Really, it was Todd's but...)  They were so excited when I played the CD for them and what followed was an hour lesson (you tube footage ad nauseum included) of the wonder that was known as Michael Jackson.

As they prepared, daily, for their Busy Bee show they wouldn't share much else with me.  Instead I had to be surprised when I got there.  They were the "boys from Detroit" and they all looked adorable with their 'hawks and their slicked back hair.  For Ryder it was all part of dressing up and he loves to gel his hair back.  For Chase, he was a trooper, but warned me he doesn't prefer to wear his hear spiked up (I ask him to spike it up all of the time, he always says no!)

The show was cute, though I will stick to my guns and say all children's show that involve their participation should be limited to 60 seconds.  After that, you lose them one by one.  After, there was a breakfast which allowed us an opportunity to chat with the counselors and the other boys' parents.  Also, it was a great opportunity to see the boys in the element of Briarwood.

Here are some photos from the day:

The Dragonflies from Detroit

Silly Campers

This picture of Eric Jaffee, Oren Fuchs, Ryder, Hudson Denlein, and Chase is one of my favorites.
It was taken at the Busy Breakfast after the Busy Bee show.  I love this photo because, to me, it sums up camp.  Boys being silly, having fun, being campers.  In it I can get a feel for their personalities, for the friendships they are forming, for the fun times they are having.

We don't know what will come of their friendship as they get older, go to school, whether they choose to return to camp, but this Summer, at this moment, they are having the time of their lives.