Happy camper

tough guy.jpg
Originally uploaded by Mrs. Bickerson.

This little guy puts up a tough facade but it dawned on me today that I am asking a LOT of a five year old to get on a big school bus and ride to daycamp. He went to camp last year at the YMCA and had a wonderful time. 8 to 5 every day of swimming, toasting marshmallows, arts and crafts, archery, and general frolicking among the chicken-sized mosquitoes.

He was a little more apprehensive this year and after he got off the bus Monday afternoon, he refused to answer any questions about camp activities. Of course I assumed they must be beating him. But no. After supper he opened up about the kids in his group, archery (he got to shoot the arrow TWO TIMES!), swimming (you can't see anything but brown with the goggles on), and the mosquitoes (big, very big).

But in the middle of the day today I started thinking: It takes a lot of courage for a five year old boy to get on a bus with no one he knows, ride 45 minutes to get out and join a group of completely new kids and a couple of counselors he's never met before. Spidey, I am proud of you!

Tip to parents: An extra package of M and M's in the backpack goes a long way to quieting fears of the unknown.