Week 4!

I've decided that I'm going to break this all up and give each week it's own entry. It seems a little silly since all these weeks are long past, but it help me keep my thoughts straight and is doubtless easier for you all to read. So, Week 4. Week 4 was special, because that week I had Joe's home youth group, including his parents. Joe is our camp director, and his parents are amazing. His dad, Mark, works for Teameffort and had just returned from working at our camp in Puerto Rico. He's a total beast, knew exactly how to do everything perfectly, how to explain it to the kids, and how to have fun doing it. Plus, this guy is absolutely hilarious. Seriously. So much fun. He was just a chaperone and not the actual youth leader, but all their adults were like him, and the kids were great too. It was so refreshing to have a group that understood exactly what we're about and whose attitudes were so perfectly balanced between focused work and fun with the kids. They practically worked on autopilot. I was still at Sweet T's house with Matt that week, and I'm glad I wasn't alone there because they were so good that they didn't really need us so it was nice to have some company. When I was bored though, there were always the kids. Their chaperones included a married couple who brought their children, a girl named Amelia who was about three and a boy whose name I am sad to admit I can't remember, who was about 4. They were precious and always kept things interesting. Emily was at a worksite across the street, and one day we spent most of the afternoon running back and forth across the street pretending we were spies, looking for I don't know what or why, but it was fun. It was nice to be a kid again, and to remember how to use my imagination, pretending it was a dark and stormy night and we were deep into a terrifying enemy territory. We should all use our imaginations more. We really don't give them enough credit.

I also want to talk about Joe's mom, Carla, because I want to be her when I grow up. She is absolutely the sweetest woman I have ever met in my entire life. To begin with, she brought homemade blondies for Joe and Caitlin and a box of Sundrop soda, because it's Joe's favorite. Every morning at breakfast she came and found me, said good morning and gave me a hug. She did the same thing every night. She was always so sweet and kind and motherly to everyone. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with her. I refer to her as Mommy Carla in my head. I want to be her when I grow up.