Everything's normal again!
Duchess is home. Skipper and Cook went to fetch her from camp this morning (I had to be in a parade,* so I couldn't go), and Cook was commissioned to take photos of the place so I could see what it was like. Sadly, he only took this photo, of the kids in front of... I don't know - a door? So you and I will have to remain in the dark about Camp Namanu.
Duchess had a wonderful time, of course, and already can't wait to go again next year. She had a few episodes of homesickness, and she never did get to go canoeing, but it sounds like her greatest trauma was that ALL of her cabin-mates had money to spend at the camp store EXCEPT FOR HER and she was SO JEALOUS of them.** However, she successfully cared for herself (she took TWO showers, arriving home actually fairly clean, though her hair is pretty gnarly and un-brushed), made friends, did crafts, went swimming, played games, "learned a lot about nature," and was indoctrinated into camp culture. Camp culture involves lots of rituals, camp names, and the mysterious language of a camp that's been around for almost a hundred years. (This is a direct quote: "Well, Sleven - he's the UD - no, he's the head of the CITs- he fell in the duck pond and he swam all the way there and back, but his boat only made it to Mr. Scrigglebottom's Vacation Island!") Which is what's awesome about going to camp, and finding a place for yourself in another world apart from your normal life.
Anyway, she's home. I'm really happy to have her back (look at her! My enormous, lovely, nattering daughter!"). She and Skipper have already had a bunch of fights, as Skipper is both delighted to see her sister again, and struggling to figure out how to again share the parental attention she got to herself all week long. Duchess is off again on another trip on Thursday, flying by herself to California to visit family, so Skipper will remain off-balance for a while longer.
*Long, not-interesting story.
** I personally think camp stores are kind of evil (this one sells stuffed animals and whatnot - it's kind of a juggernaut of consumption), and I wish they would go away. Cook was slightly saddened by the way Dutch greeted him, showing very little enthusiasm about seeing him, and immediately asking for money to spend at the camp store. We're pretty sure she's not a sociopath or anything - just greedy.
Duchess had a wonderful time, of course, and already can't wait to go again next year. She had a few episodes of homesickness, and she never did get to go canoeing, but it sounds like her greatest trauma was that ALL of her cabin-mates had money to spend at the camp store EXCEPT FOR HER and she was SO JEALOUS of them.** However, she successfully cared for herself (she took TWO showers, arriving home actually fairly clean, though her hair is pretty gnarly and un-brushed), made friends, did crafts, went swimming, played games, "learned a lot about nature," and was indoctrinated into camp culture. Camp culture involves lots of rituals, camp names, and the mysterious language of a camp that's been around for almost a hundred years. (This is a direct quote: "Well, Sleven - he's the UD - no, he's the head of the CITs- he fell in the duck pond and he swam all the way there and back, but his boat only made it to Mr. Scrigglebottom's Vacation Island!") Which is what's awesome about going to camp, and finding a place for yourself in another world apart from your normal life.
Anyway, she's home. I'm really happy to have her back (look at her! My enormous, lovely, nattering daughter!"). She and Skipper have already had a bunch of fights, as Skipper is both delighted to see her sister again, and struggling to figure out how to again share the parental attention she got to herself all week long. Duchess is off again on another trip on Thursday, flying by herself to California to visit family, so Skipper will remain off-balance for a while longer.
*Long, not-interesting story.
** I personally think camp stores are kind of evil (this one sells stuffed animals and whatnot - it's kind of a juggernaut of consumption), and I wish they would go away. Cook was slightly saddened by the way Dutch greeted him, showing very little enthusiasm about seeing him, and immediately asking for money to spend at the camp store. We're pretty sure she's not a sociopath or anything - just greedy.
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