Adventure Now: Camp NOLA Kidz-Week 1

Whew! I'm so sorry it has taken forever to blog, but let's just say I've been too exhausted to do much of anything after camp everyday. I am totally loving the camp staff life though. I think I was totally meant to do this, because I truly cannot get enough of it.
Monday- Okay day 1 of camp. Stressful. Nervous. Excited, and did I mention nervous? The first day was the easiest of all the days actually though. I didn't really have to punish anybody, and my group was pretty much awesome. The mission lab people we had were AMAZING. We had a girl who was 15 and named Haylee Grace, and then an adult woman that was a chaperon. Her name was Allison, and she was a teacher so I automatically liked her. Both of them were amazing all week! I was truly blessed to have them because they made everything much easier. At the end of the day I was completely worn out though because I had to be there at 7:15-around 4:30 this week. Like I said though, totally worth it. A little boy named Seth is in my group and he is autistic, and FABULOUS. He is the sweetest boy, and his laugh is truly contagious. That night we went out to eat for one of my fellow staffers, and he got a free steak from this place! It was awesome! As soon as we got back though I crashed!
Tuesday- Okay here is where I finally I had to start disciplining...not fun, but necessary. I had a few new kids today, and they like to talk. A LOT. I got a kid who has the worst attitude ever because he wants to be in a group with the Lifters even though he is supposed to be in my group. Oh well though I just let him sulk in the corner if he wanted to. After camp today I went back home, and went to bed pretty soon.
Wednesday- Today I got some more kids and we had to instate the rule that if we have to say your name more than 3 times that is an automatic 10 minutes off swim time(which is their favorite). This helped some, but of course there are also just a few that still like to test you.
Thursday- The day of my breaking point. Today my co-couselor had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon and had to leave for 2 hours and part of the time she was gone we had rec time. I had 2 kids already having to sit out 10 minutes from rec because of some disturbance they caused earlier. 15 minutes of rec consisted of free play which I have found to be a bad idea. I turned around and see Haylee Grace having to hold two kids back from each other. Picture this: a super tall girl, and the littlest boy in the class yelling at each other. Why you ask? Because Danielle thought Mark had thrown his necklace at her which wasn't true because he was twirling it around his finger and it threw off. So Danielle steps on his foot as hard as she could and he starts hitting her. I sat both of them out, and said I would talk to them later. I turn around and another one my kids runs up to me saying Maya, another girl in my group, is crying. So I go over to Maya and she's crying because no one will play with her so I talk to her and then another girl came over to play with her. I then turn around to go over to Mark and Danielle and another councilor from another group came up to me telling me to go talk to Skylar who had been set out because she threw a ball at another kid as hard as she could because he called her a name, and she is a big girl. Then after I finished talking to her I hear Danielle and Mark yelling at each other and Mark is in tears. UGH! Can I not get a break here?! By that time it was time to go so everyone lines us and we start walking back to the Price building. On the way back two of my kids started kicking each other in the shins. REALLY?! So we get back and I have to have a conversation will them and pretty much 3 people out of the class ended up with deducted swim time for the next day. Finally the day was over and I was ready to collapse.
Friday- Ah, Friday. YAY! The beginning of the day started off rough. One girl got sat out all of swim time because she just would not listen so just sat in the corner and cried, but I just didn't have any sympathy for her AT ALL. Toward the end of the day things were getting better minus the fact that my kids don't know how to walk in a line so I have to bring a rope on Monday so they can be like preschoolers and have to hold it on the way to places. On a good note we totally had the best cheer even though we were ripped off and didn't win because we won the SPIRIT STICK instead! Woop-woop! We get to decorate any way we want and get to keep it for a week. That night we went and at at Joey K's...OMG AMAZING, and then Sucre! Ah! I feel like as soon as I got home I passed out even though I have been reading Choosing to See by Mary-Beth Chapman. SADDEST BOOK EVER...even though I did know what was coming. I'm a little over halfway through and I feel like I never read it without crying. It is so good though!
Saturday- I slept super late thankfully, and then we went down to Magazine street to shop. It was really fun, but very tiring. My feet hurt, and I'm sunburnt, but I got pretty things! Now we are watching My Fair Lady, which is fabulous. Oh also throughout the week I have found out my house in Tuscaloosa has fleas! REALLY?! I need a break. I cannot deal with camp and stupid fleas from my roommates dogs when I'm not even there. I am so thankful for my mom though who has been communicating with my roommate in Tuscaloosa figuring stuff out for me since she knows I'm already stressed I truly am blessed for a mom like her.

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