This summer started just like any summer of camp. I was a nervous wreck on the inside and maybe a little too loud on the outside. But this was different. I was at a new camp in a new role. And like all summers, the children ran onto camp and whether I was ready or not, it was go time. 

Here is the first thing I noticed about my new day camp children: my god are they small. I understand that I myself am small but holy cow. They haven’t quite figured out how to be people yet and with a year away from everyone but their family, we had a lot of catching up to do.  Most problems could be resolved with getting a good night’s sleep and coming back to a fresh start the next day. Almost all the kids wanted to be there everyday. If they didn’t want to come for a day, the parents usually just kept them home. They loved screaming. Oh boy did they love screaming. Favorite place to scream was right next to the office. And honestly as the summer went on I didn’t mind. The screaming (usually) meant they were having fun. Who am I to deny small children who have been locked inside for a year some loud fun?

I had to learn a lot this year. A lot of learning about how to deal with the health inspector and pest control. How to make a bead lizard and how to wing programming when you don’t have the supplies. A lot of learning about how to balance fun cheese and professional cheese. It was a lot to learn in not a lot of time but I had a lot of helpful guidance (hi Brisca!) and strong staff that I could trust to get the job done (hi OVAL staff!).

Here is one thing I am super proud of this summer: I created what I hope to be a new OVAL tradition. ~The Lizard Raffle~ The raffle was simple. When a child goes above and beyond in kindness and generosity they would get a ticket. At the end of the day they would write their name on the ticket and enter it into a raffle to win a bead lizard made by me (or a frog made by Squeaks. Hi Squeaks!). That just meant I needed to make enough bead lizards to raffle off 3 a day for 10 days. Easy. I was a lizard making machine this summer. I would make them while reading emails, checking on children, and I would take them home and do them. I loved making bead lizards and the kids loved a chance to try and win a lizard lovingly made by one of the assistant directors. One day a kid came up to me while putting her ticket in the raffle and said, “I don’t even care if I win. I just feel really proud of myself whenever I earn a ticket.” So thanks kid. You make the nonsense worth it.