This is why I sometimes don't like change

I was trying to upload a new template today, and successfully did, but then it deleted all of my links. I can't remember all of them, but I think I got most of the important ones back.

RFKC - year 13

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend my thirteenth year of Royal Family Kids Camp. As usual the week went by fast. The camp was at the Alpine Conference Center near Blue Jay and Lake Arrowhead.

The week started out with nervousness after being sick for the entire week before camp, then moved to excitement once we started the drive up. However, on Monday, I found out that not one, but both of my campers weren't coming to camp. For the first time in my 13 years, I wasn't going to be a direct counselor. I was bummed-obviously.

It was wonderful to see the returning campers and the new ones!

I was able to buddy up with 3 other counselors and be on a team with 2 campers. They were great kids. On Wednesday I was asked to buddy up with 2 other counselors and 2 campers because one of the campers had such unique needs. Looking back I feel very fortunate that I was able to bond with 4 campers and 5 counselors!

We had a ton of fun, from swimming, to slip and slide,to carpetball, to water balloons, to arts and crafts, to a talent show, to a carnival and birthday party, to a ton of sports-mostly whiffle ball and slab hockey! Our campers were very athletic, and we were on the field for a good length of time.

My second half of the week campers loved their birthday gifts, especially the bug collection exploration kits they received. We spent almost all day Thursday looking for lizards and bugs. Our campers caught a couple of lizards, a BEAUTIFUL butterfly, a moth, three grasshoppers, a ladybug, a fly, a beetle, ants, and I think a couple of other items! Our portion of the talent show consisted of our two campers showing off their prized collection.


I love breathing in the mountain, pine tree laced air!

I can't wait until next year!

There is really so much more to process, but it is hard to communicate it all. I just really love those kids and enjoy sharing a week with them.

It's still a small world after all!

Since I didn't run into anyone I knew when I was in Florida, I figured it wasn't such a small world. Then today(Thursday) happened. A teen customer was checking in his laptop and asked me what my name was because he knew me. I told him my name and then he told me how he knew me, and that I hung out with a kid named "T". I asked him how he knew me, and he said he remembered seeing me at his group home, Star 6. I cant really say his full name because he was a foster kid, but "T" was a boy I mentored for a few years in northern Orange County, and who was also a camper of mine at Royal Family Kids Camp down in Vista several years ago. Who will be next on the list?

Monsoonal

It is raining here in Newport Beach! I guess I brought it from Florida.

Red Eye Flights across the country are not fun.

Greetings from Hotlanta, Georgia (my first visit to the peach state). I am on my way to Disney World for the long weekend. I flew out of OC at 9:40pm, and the four hour flight put me in Atlanta at 4:30 am, but barely bedtime for me PST. Now I don't know if I will be able to sleep at all until I get to Orlando. I have an almost 3 hr layover here in the airport. Speaking of this airport, it is HUGE. I seemed to walk forever to get from the A terminal to the B, and of course it was too early for the trains to be running. Okay, I am getting a little sleepy now.

It's a small world after all! - Well Hello Molly

It seems that no matter where I have been recently, I run into someone I know. When I was in New York in June at the Baseball Hall of Fame, I ran into coach Mark (who was also browsing the plaques) from from Royal Family Kids Camp that I had done for 6 years out in Cypress. I then saw him 2 weeks later at the wedding for the director of that camp! In Yosemite for Father's Day, I met up with some friends from Colorado that go back to the early 90's.

So I am chilling with my parents at Mesa Verde Restaurant in the Denver Airport waiting for the flight to SNA, when I see a couple of familiar faces from the SGV walk by. I quietly asked "Molly?", and then when I noticed it was she and Lauren, I walked up to the entrance of the restaurant and yelled "MOLLY!" I think we were both in a little bit of shock.

She told me to update my blog.

Is this good enough for now?

More library stories to come as they are experienced. I have been off for 4 days!