Compiled by Louis Olive
Hello Camp Family! It is great to be back in the saddle following an incredibly enjoyable parental leave. I want to give a huge thanks to the full time team for their assistance as Maggie and I welcomed our son Sunny in February. The support from Noah, Larry, Bob, Katie, Andy, Joe and Jeremy were incredibly important in ensuring I could take some time off to adjust to parenthood and enjoy quality time with our growing family. This support is truly emblematic of the values which we live by as a team.
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So, it’s been 10 weeks since Sunny was born… 10 weeks, which is really just about 8 weeks, which is coincidentally how long a session of camp is. So, what’s changed in the roughly one full-season of camp that my son has been alive? I am happy to report that the new camper is adjusting great.
First and foremost, as everyone asks, Sunny’s sleep has really improved a lot. That makes sense! It’s hard to sleep in a new place, but it gets better with time. We know that because at around 6:30am on the first day of camp, our newest Swampers are often awake, milling about the village, antsy to start their day. Soon enough, they settle in and we tire them out, and the bulk of the village sleeps until the wakeup bell. But those early jitters make sense. So for Sunny, I understand that waking up every 90-150 minutes for those first few weeks was just getting used to a new place, but a full-season has passed, and he’s down to just one wakeup overnight!
Sunny is also getting more used to challenging himself. We work on little challenges, like sitting up, laying on his tummy, and grasping toys. Campers face all sorts of challenges at Nebagamon, and in only one season of camp, can go from beginners with only the vaguest idea of their goals, to achieving ranks and setting their sights higher for next summer. Of course, challenges are supposed to be, that’s right, challenging. A camper’s path to mastering skills at camp isn’t always straight or smooth, but that makes it all the more rewarding when they find success. Sunny also doesn’t always love the challenge – sometimes he’ll cry out after a few minutes of tummy time, but he’s grown better and better at it every day because he continues to work on the challenge. At the start of his full-season of camp, he couldn’t grab anything, and now it’s hard to take his favorite toy (a washcloth) out of his hands! Soon enough, he’ll be rolling-over approved!
What else has changed? Sunny is smiling, laughing, enjoying games, and making many new sounds. He’s starting to become himself. Some hallmarks of a comfortable camper are feeling accepted by his peers, speaking his mind and sharing the things about himself that make him unique. It takes new Nebagamon campers some time to really realize they’re in a place that values who they are, and lets them be who they want to be. Once everyone’s warmed up, that’s when the fun begins! Sunny is having loads of fun, and sharing lots with us (not just in fluids). He’s letting us know he enjoys camp songs in the morning, and laughs with a wide open smile when you wiggle his legs. And most of all… he loves staring at the ceiling fans! It took a few weeks for him to open up to us, but now that he’s warmed up, he’s having tons of fun.
And luckily for us, Sunny is also much, much more comfortable with his counselors. That takes time too. Going to a new place, our new Nebagamon campers might be a little hesitant to trust their counselors to help them with their problems, but the relationship between camper and counselor builds quickly. Our staff have eight days of training (which is eight more days than I got for parenting an infant!!!). Staff come into the summer equipped with all sorts of tools to support campers in need. Sunny took some time to warm up to us, but just this morning for the very first time he recognized his mom when she walked into the room. I think our campers and counselors are a little more familiar than that after a full season of camp… But you get the idea. It’s been an incredible full-season with Sunny, and I am so happy to be his counselor (and lucky that I’ve got such a great S.C. by my side!!).
Maybe most like a camper… he’s come out the other side of this first season having grown, literally! He’s at least a few inches taller, and his first set of clothes already don’t fit – he’s already pushing the limits of the next size up! It’s remarkable how they change in just 8 weeks… Ok, 10 weeks!
Now that I’m back working after parental leave, I think I have a greater appreciation for all that can change in just two months. Sunny has learned and grown so much and he’s taught his counselor/dad a whole lot as well. It won’t be long until we’re all up at camp together and our campers are getting comfortable, building skills and relationships, and warming up to our community. I am really looking forward to welcoming not just Sunny, but all our new campers to Nebagamon, and can’t wait for all the learning that’s going to happen!
We’ve got a few news items for you this month — go ahead and send me an email here if you have something to share in our next newsletter!
IT MAY INTEREST YOU TO KNOW… In Dallas, Ari Foxman competed in his statewide Middle School Science competition. In Chicago, RJ Gunnart is hitting the road for his AAU Basketball Team, with tournaments in Detroit and Columbia, MO. In DC, Jonah Tone is performing in his school’s spring musical, Catch Me If You Can, and Elliot Tone is first chair bass clarinet for his 6th grade band. And in Padua, Italy, Giordano Galdiolo earned his green/blue belt in Taekwondo and got into an arts high school he will attend in the fall.