Stillwood

So here I am on the Eve of my last day at Still wood camp. I have to say "fitting in" has not been very easy. I missed all the bonding moments during camp training and walked into a camp that has over 150 work crew, counsellors in training and senior staff. Even the married couples have not reached out to me. I am not sure what it is but I just have not felt a warm reception. The oldest out of the crew are 24 years of age; one of them being my partner in crime (believe me we have committed many already). Shawna, a recent nursing student grad and she has been wonderful and open to suggestion. She has been stuck with me for the week. Stillwood camp is tightly run and it is easy to break rules even when you don't even know you are breaking them. Shawna and I were tattled on because we took food out of a certain area and we got a talking to. Our supervisor is a lady with the camp name, Lovey. She is quite the drill Sergeant but has this camp running in tip top shape. I don't think she likes me very much since I came up with some new ideas for medication administration (which has been very efficient).

However, I do love the children. Nothing is better than having a crying little child come to you with a sore head or tummy and giving them a freezie to making them feel better. I love hearing the chatter at dinner, and the children singing songs around the campfire. I get a kick out of the children that I have watched grown up being away from their parents and waving to me just to let me know they are OK. The best was having my own children come to the camp and being a part of this community of 320 campers. Kourtney watched me take slivers out, and learned to drive the golf cart around the camp. We never laughed so hard when she forgot a golf cart is not like her wheelchair. The golf cart has a brake and you continue to go even when your foot is off the pedal! We also sat and just chatted without interruption while Todd and Shae were off on a hike.

I miss my family so much. The homesickness I feel is overwhelming; I just want them to be a part of activities. My heart aches for Kourtney that she has not grown up being a part of camp. I want her to be a part of this community. Shaelyn is coming next week, and I am looking forward to seeing her enjoy the energy that defines camp. If the weather cools down a bit then Kourtney will come hang and sleep out here with me. I love my family even more.

I know it is the small things in life that amuse me but the funniest thing I have seen is one the counsellors that can't swallow pills. He is probably over 300 pounds, so when he came in for pain meds for his back, he asked if we had children's Tylenol or else he would just chew them. I decided not to put him through the agony of chewing the pills so I dosed out the children's Tylenol. The package insert was thrown away but if I did it according to the weight chart the poor guy would have needed 20 chewable Tylenol. I gave him 5 and told him to come back if he needed more. Tonight he came in and needed more drugs. He said he would just chew them, so I asked him if it would be OK if we threw an Advil in also, just so we could see him do it. We of course promised him a freezie. He chewed them like they were candy and not even a face was made. I was very impressed.

I am getting a lot of reading done, my tan is now back as we have a portable nurse's station set up by the pool. I have been hiking up Teapot Hill everyday and enjoying God's wonderful creations! I do love the surroundings, I just need to find an in with the people.