Hello, everyone out there in the blogging world.
I know its been awhile since my last blog, a month and half (much shorter then my year stint last time) but here I am, once again, pouring out my heart and mind to a world that may never read my words. Which is fine with me, by the way. It means no one can be critical of what I have to say and the way I frame my words.
So, that being said, I thought I'd give you all a basic idea of whats gone on in my life for the last month and a half that has kept me from my doing my duty as a blogger.
On May 20th, I turned 21. Its my first time being 21, so please, be gentle with your thinking. Contrary to the popular practice, I did not go to the 21 and up club/bar and get myself un-upstandingly drunk. No, my 21st birthday consisted of a great deal of wine.
See, well over a year and a half ago, I mentioned to my mom, who is amazing, by the way, that I would truly enjoy a wine tasting party, rather then just an average party where everyone makes Margaritas and Bloody Marys all night long. It was never mentioned again.
Well my mom, with her excellent memory, put together a wine-tasting party, in which we had a gourmet meal consisting of seven courses, and a different wine with each course. Was I tipsy at the end of the night? I think so. David even more so, considering he drank all the wine I didn't like.
This event was followed closely by the retreat of my lovely parents to visit my Aunt in North Carolina. I spent a week with my brother and grandmother, and went through an emotional roller coaster whilst avoiding another semi-nervous breakdown....this time, not over corn chowder.
Now, the main event that has taken place is the preparation for a little-known camp called Royal Family Kids Camp. For those of you who don't know, RFKC is a camp for abused and neglected children ages 6-11 who are in the foster care system. For one week out of the year, we take a group of these kids up to the mountains and let them just be kids again. They get to go hiking, work on wood-craft, go swimming, do science experiments, all the while learning of God's love for them.
Well, this year we were maxed out with 70 kids. Yep, you heard me, 70 kids. It was a 1:1 ratio adults to children. Which made all the staff exceedingly happy, considering last year we were worked to the bone before the week was over.
And what do I do at camp, you might ask? I am on staff. I am in charge of the science center as well as the drama....which is a lot of fun, but also extremely stressful.
Here let me go into some detail about the preparation it takes to make each of these things happen.
Drama:
The Drama consists of a 5 day curriculum, this time on the subject of Esther. We chronicle her assent from poor peasant to rich girl to queen, and the events between then and when Haman is put to death. Now, it was a six person cast, all of which have lives, families, and schedules. Getting them to at least get their lines on note cards is no easy feat, much less get them all together to practice. And then there is the designing of the set, the costumes, and the props, all of which I over see. Now, I have an awesome co-director who is always picking up the slack when things get a little crazy....and by picking up the slack, I mean being in charge of the set and getting most of the costumes...She is amazing :)
Once up at camp, hopefully all the prep work has been done correctly, leaving us only to run through it at the un-Godly hour of 7:30 each morning. This is only after puppet practice, which convenes at promptly 7 each morning.
Science Center:
The Science Center is where the kids get to make different kinds of things with their own two hands. This year, we made Play Dough, Silly Puddy, Pop Rockets, Soap and Ice Cream. Now, preparation for this consists mostly of buying all necessary material we just might be short of. The real work is up at camp.
Once set up, we help the children create their experiments. By help create, I mean we get to measure, over see, and in general, keep the kids all on task. Not to mention put up with the shenanigans of the counselors...which, by the way, is a no easy feat...soooo much worse then the kids.
So that's what I do. This is on top of all the singing the little girls in my cabin ask me to do. I literally walk out of there with out a voice.
Now that I have gone into some detail as to my duties at camp, allow me to expound on the camp itself.
This camp is probably the most emotional thing anybody can go through, minus the birth and death of a child. Every possible horrific thing you can think of, from suicide, to incest, to rape, to drugs, to sex, any bad thing, these kids most likely have seen or been party too. Things that no one should ever have to experience, much less a child. And its daily practice for them.
Because most of these kids were actually taken into the system after the age of five, all of them are considered unadoptable. Their chances decrease by half when they hit 5, and then by half again every year until they are at a big whopping Zero. Everyone wants babies, no body want a child or an adolescent with all that emotional baggage.
The thing is, these kids could be any one. From your little brother, to your niece, to the kid down the street, even you...they look like anybody else. Adorable, sweet, handsome, feisty, smart....and so hurt. When they sleep at night, its hard not to feel honored that they trust you enough to sleep peacefully.
It hurts to think about, I know. But its all the truth.
Now that I've succeeded in making myself cry....
Ok, so that's what I've been up to and why I haven't been online....but I'm back now, ready to write.
