going to camp

Last week was spent at Girls' Camp. It is my annual pilgrimage, and I couldn't convince myself that the addition of a six-month old in my life should change that. So we packed our bags and went. (Although this year I came home for two days in the middle - that was good for me and Leni, but bad for my counselors who had to deal with the girls spraying wasp killer into each others' hair without me. No physical damage done.)
Being an active, curious, attentive baby turned out to be a liability at girls' camp, because that meant Leni got significantly less sleep than normal. (Which is constrasted with the five month old who was up there, who just slept a lot because of so much excitement - just like Leni did while visiting family a month ago.) Since there were always more people to see and things to experience, she was unable to just shut out the environment and sleep. So, instead, I would just hold her until she finally let go to exhaustion, then tuck her in her car seat so she could sleep where I could keep an eye on her.

But, she got to play some camp games, be outside, and try new foods, all of which she loves. The girls thought she was great. And - for this year's camp miracle: Leni allowed other people to hold her, sometimes for up to 30 minutes! This allowed me to check up on the possible broken ankle caused by the rock throwing incident. Thankfully, the ankle was only bruised.

Camp overall was a resounding success. The girls felt the Spirit, really enjoyed themselves, and can't wait to come back next year. I can wait. Mostly because by that time I'll have an 18 month old, which will add an whole new level of fun to the camping experience.