Monday, June 2, 2008

Off to camp on the Magic Bus (and some contests)

Yesterday we put both girls on the church bus and sent them off to camp for a week. What makes this camp so very exciting (besides being ALONE for a week) is that I don't have to drive to North Carolina twice over the course of the next week! The girls were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. On Saturday, Katie kept asking me what time it was...counting down the hours until we sent her to bed...because then she'd be that much closer to leaving for camp.


Katie went to this camp for the first time 3 summers ago. When we got there, she was the last girl in her cabin to arrive. We got her settled...and she looked at us...and said "you can go now." She was going to miss us for sure. Oh, to be a fly on a wall at camp!

This is Madalyn's first year for sleep away camp. She is so very excited to go. I asked her if she was going to miss me. She said "not very much." I'll interpret that to mean, "maybe just a little."

Here are the girls depositing their luggage to be loaded on the bus:

Getting instructions from Pastor Jill (look at Madalyn's luggage. Didn't you take purple leopard print luggage to camp?):

Traveling buds:

On the bus:

Look at all those happy parents:

Michael and I headed home...and then he quickly left to play softball for our church team. He managed to hurt himself...twisted his knee or something...and I had to run out to Sports Authority to get him a brace. A few hours later he remembered something he heard at softball, but forgot to tell me (does your husband do things like this?). It seems the church bus with its precious cargo, broke down the minute it left the church parking lot! They had to unload the kids and luggage. Load the kids into the other (and smaller) church bus...put the luggage on the trailer (and hitch it to the bus)...and have Pastor Jill and our youth minister drive their vans up to the church to fit all the kids. So...instead of leaving at 11am...they left closer to 1pm! What an adventure!

So...what am I doing with my time? I am being a couch potato. Today, I have watched the first season of "Sex and the City" AND the first season of "Weeds." Now, I just need to watch a tv show about Rock 'n Roll to complete the triumvirate. What am I going to do while I wait for netflix to deliver the next installments?

Okay...here are some things for you to do...enter contests. There is a fun one going on over at Tali's site where you have to guess the image from a scanning electron microscope....with some very cool prizes.

And next...the uber contest...is over at the new site created by Mrs. Romero and Heather called "The Secret is in the Sauce." They have created a blog about blogging...where they will feature bloggers, help you get more traffic...and most importantly commenters...to your site. They have some amazing prizes including a blog makeover, digital voice recorder, a camera, and more. Go check it out!

post signature

Theme song: The Who - Magic Bus

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the AWSOME "Shout Out". You just got yourself two additional contest entries.

The Secret IS in the Sauce!

Tiffany said...

I loved going to sleep away camp. As a Camp Director, I am a huge fan of camp and all it offers!

A week of Sex and the City and Weeds.. that is like a dream come true!

GBK Gwyneth said...

Wow! I hope that they (and you) have a great week!

Heather said...

I love the picture of all the parents waving happily goodbye. A week of camp...heavenly. Please go do many adventurous things so that I can live vicariously through you.

Angie's Spot said...

I love the song choice! You are so clever matching up songs with your entries. :-) And thanks for the heads up about the contests! I love a good contest! Enjoy your week off. I'm sure it's well deserved!

Insane Mama said...

ahh happy times! I love, I mean LOVE LOVE sending my kids to camp!!

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Mrs. R--You direct a camp? I had no idea. I am sure the girls are having a fab time...I just want to be a fly on the wall :-). Yup...sex and weed...good times...

Gwyneth--Thanks. I am not sure that I'll actually get anything accomplished...but a good time is my intention all the way around!

Heather--adventerous? I'm a mom in the burbs...how adventerous could I be? I'm just so excited to have a week without high decibel level shrieks...without pokemon talk...without polly pocket pieces piercing my feet...

Angie--All the kudos go to my DH. He's the music guru. I just email or IM him and say "writin' a post about the kids going to camp. Suggestions?" Sometimes he suggests things I don't like...but usually he can come up with somethinmg like "Magic Bus" that just works!

Insane mama--Oh...I have been counting down the days :-) And even when they get home on Saturday...next week they are both at science camp all day :-)

John Deere Mom said...

I cannot imagine the kids gone for a week! I think I would sit and cry for the first few days. Maybe? Did you the first time? I am a big weiner and still haven't left the kids alone overnight anywhere...even at home. I think because I work full time I feel guilty about being gone more than I have to. I need to get over myself, I know! After a few more days of summer togetherness, I might just beg people to take them!

Lula! said...

Oh, Kat...Kat, Kat, Kat...The Who and Jeff Buckley. That totally made my evening. I even paused "Muse" on my iTunes to listen. FEEL THE LOVE!

I'm so glad there are other mothers out there who don't mind to let their kids have a good time, apart from them. The general consensus in these parts is, "I'd never want to be away from my children for a week or more..." This is mostly spoken by non-SAHMs...so you figure that one out. And I'll say no more.

If my girls were old enough to head off to camp for a week, not only would we be the first ones in line for the departing bus, we'd also be the last parents picking the kids up when they returned. 'Cause that's how we roll.

Did you love SATC? It gets better and better...

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Angie--Am I totally callous if I say "no?" See...with homeschooling...I am NEVER alone. Ever. Trying to Christmas shop is always challenging. Trying to shop for bras and underwear is just as challenging. My DH is usually not home until 8 in the evening (unless I ask him to come home earlier)...so sending them off brings me great joy :-)

I think you and I need middle ground. You need to get over the guilt...I need to get over the glee...and we both need "me" time :-)

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Lula--I'm always the last to pick up! Last year at camp we were last to get Katie...she didn't seem to mind. But I do get grief when I am the last mom to pick up from choir or Sunday School (I find so many people to chat with after church! I am so very desperate for adult conversation.)

SATC was really fun. And I couldn't help but get distracted by the brick of a cell phone, the lug of a tv (instead of plasma)...sort of amusing! Have you seen "Weeds?" You gotta netflix it!

Debbie said...

Kat. A whole week. No kids. You are kidding right? Not one kid? I cannot even imagine what that is like right now nor will I anytime soon. We are still in school, still in soccer and still working on my second graders animal report due Friday!

Acrimony said...

"Not very much"

LOL! Thanks kid. Get your butt on the bus. :P

Rhea said...

I am green with envy over here right now. My boys are both still in school (only three days left) and we have no sleepover camps planned. Enjoy your week of freedom!

Thanks for the head's up on the contests. It's always nice to find more of those, although I never win things, I swear.

Darcy's queue at Graphically Designing just opened up though, so I managed to get in line this time, thank goodness. I can't wait to get started!!

Brian and Staci said...

Wow! love your blog! Thanks for stopping by mine :) Your girls are gonna have a great time! Can't wait to hear all about it! Gotta run...just wanted to say thanks for leaving a comment :)

Firefly Mom said...

Wow - home alone with your husband? What *will* you do? wink, wink. nudge, nudge.

BTW, I finally succumbed to your peer pressure and did the meme ;D

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Debbie--Not one kid. Unless you count my DH. Which you probably should. He still seems to think he's 12 with the way he manages to injure himself. The public schools here were out May 21st...but we go back at the beginning of August. Katie wrapped up her homeschooling last Friday. Have fun with those reports! :-)

Tali--Isn't she sweet?! She's such a smarty pants...because she says this with a devlish gleam in her eye knowing she'll make me crazed. And this is at 7. What am I going to do with her when she's 15?

Rhea--The contests are very cool...and one of them includes a blog makeover. I wanna win! But if I win...I can give that blog makeover away! I'm glad you got in Darcy's queue. I actually got back in it, too...I want some custom "buttons" and and interesting divider between posts. Did you find the link for the photos from her? I noticed it's actually posted in her sidebar.

Staci--Thanks so much for stopping by. Come back when you can stay a spell :-)

FM--I am going to have to go and check out the meme. And actually, my DH is at work during the day...and my mom lives with us...so it's not totally alone. But at least the "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" can be done without locking the door :-)

KatBouska said...

That's it I'm oficially sending my kids to camp...do they take three year olds?? Is there a potty training camp??

And you've GOT to find that picture!! it's amazing how reckless our mothers were and they didn't even know it!!

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Kathy--You know when they are three and need potty training is when we especially need the break! They should do a toddler camp. And I am making my mom hunt that picture down tonight. She says I am not remembering it correctly...but we'll see!

Staci said...

thanks for stoppin by my blog!!! The one with the So you think you can dance entry...., i have actually seen your blog before...i LOVE IT!!! I aspire to be as great a blogger as you one day......*sigh* im a fan for sure...ill be back!!

Lisa~ said...

lol.. as soon as I saw the title to your post, I began to sing this song! lol that’s too funny... I pegged you right on...

What an adventure indeed... but how fun for your girls... I never went to camp as a kid...

Hope your hubbys knee is better... that stinks...

So we re watched the last episode to Lost last night... I was just as excited as last Thursday! lol

Lisa~

Connie said...

What an inspiration you are ... I am not sure I could send mine away just yet. Maybe when they are 12 ... :)

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Staci- thanks for coming over to visit. Do come again. Even though there will be no dancing. And I'm honored to be that inspiring. No more lurking :-)

Lisa--I went to camp twice as a kid. It was great fun...and my girls seem to be having a fabulous time. I have not gotten a letter...but they post photos on the site...and I saw that Madalyn has even gone canoeing. She's just hamming it up for the cameras.

Blarney--is it bad that I had a countdown on my calendar until they were both out the door? :-) The first year Katie went, we tried to get some of her friends to go too...but all the parents said the kids weren't ready yet. I think they meant the parents weren't ready yet :-)

Dancing Queen said...

GOOD FOR YOU!!

feed your spirit & soul by taking care of yourself!!