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The Camp Chronicles: D-Day and Beyond

Well it’s hard to believe that my daughter finally came home from camp a mere four days ago (can you see me grinning from ear to ear?)  I couldn’t stop touching her the entire day, as if she was an apparition about to slip through my fingers.   She looked great, albeit tired, but had an air about her that clearly indicated… a change.  A new self -confidence, or perhaps a bit more independent ... nevertheless, she was home! 

 I have finally made amends with the postman, though; he is still a bit wary of the nut case who’s been hot on the mail trail for camp correspondence.   I presented my daughter at the mailbox as proof of evidence that my camp mail witch- hunt had officially ended…for this summer season anyway.  I think he’s put in for a transfer.
You would think that after her return, however, I would be shouting it immediately from the rooftops via my blog, or even Facebook.  After oozing my angst all summer with a series of blogs solely devoted to the new camp experience, her anticipated denouement should have been the post du jour.  However, my seemingly quiet and monotonous summer where I was able to “indulge” in my own writing self-help suddenly flipped without so much as a warning leaving me like a deer in the proverbial headlights.
The minute she walked off the plane, like an astronaut’s re-entry to earth complete with paparazzi (a.k.a. anxious parents crowding the plane door), cameras flashing, welcome home signs, crying babies, crying campers, crying parents, life turned upside down.
Here is the top ten list of what I have encountered in the span of just four days.  It’s easier to write this as a list.

1.       A very loquacious, happy, exhausted camper who feels she has to condense her one -month experience into the course of 2 hours.

2.       Four lice checks (yes it went around camp, and I am paranoid that it came home).

3.       Lyme testing (this one was for me, not fun and I am on an intense round of antibiotics)

4.       One month’s worth of very rank laundry.

5.       Laundry that has been ripening on the basement floor prior to camp that needed to be done first.

6.        Strep tests at the doctor (strep went around at camp as well).

7.       Back to school drama (classes, carpools, requests for volunteers, last minute doctor notes for Epi-pens, blah, blah, blah).

8.       A 5.8 earthquake

9.       A pending hurricane

10.   Dealing with Unit #2, (my son) as re-entry has been difficult since his demotion from Sheriff to Deputy again…
Yup…its official…summer has come to a screeching halt. 

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