Rock Star pose on the way to camp

rock star no photo
Originally uploaded by Liz Henry

Moomin strikes a pose! It was crazy hat day, and he decided on the stegosaurus hat.

I really liked Camp Galileo. Instead of having canned-feeling kits, they asked the parents to bring in recyclable things, cardboard, strawberry baskets, tinfoil. Most of their projects were built from that stuff!

Then we’d get a little camp newsletter every day, mostly canned, but with individual bits to that week or that camp. One of the counselors would write a Moomin-flattering note in the corner of the paper almost every day. “Great sense of humor! Moomin was a joy to have in our class!” And stuff like that. Since the counselors were mostly about 14 years old, it was even more impressive. I was just like “Yeah dudes. Flatter my kid. I love you!” But it must have been so tempting to write really bad notes. “Your kid is a nose picker and a bully. Thank god it’s Friday.” You see why I don’t work there.

Best of all he would come home excited, talking about what he’d learned! They built bridges, and learned about the anatomy of fish, and made mosaics.

Today one of the 12 year olds asked wistfully if Moomin was coming back. I love it that the camp counsellors will miss him! What a great place.

So, I never went to camp. There were mysterious kids at the beach I grew up at who went to day camp, where they made craft projects. Other than that I don’t think I even knew anyone who went to camp. It was an exotic thing people did in books, like boarding school or quests for magic swords.

I did notice this camp was super de duper white. The Lego camp in Palo Alto was all white and Asian. I don’t really have an analysis of this; I have an awesome job and can send him to expensive-ass rich kid camp. I was a super bad-mom and didn’t bring in any cardboard or boxes or tinfoil. I didnt’ go to any of the camp activities either, like today’s “closing ceremonies” where they have skits and things.

After camp we cruised through the pet store. I have spent so much time in that pet store… when I worked when Moomin was little, I’d come home from work, pick him up, and take him straight to the pet store where we’d sit in front of the fish or mice for an hour with a decaf latte and a sippy cup of juice. This time, he read almost every sign about animals and fish, as he likes to do in museums. The Red-eared Slider turtle grows from 8-10 inches long! Oh, that’s interesting! Did you know that Mom?

It really bugs him when the tanks don’t have the same fish as on the signs. ” It says neon tetra and black molly. But I only see the black mollys. So, sometimes, the store must forget to put in the neon tetras, or, like that other tank over there, the mushroom anemone….”

It’s like he has fishtank OCD! It’s so weird and cool of him!