Last day today. It's so very sad.
Breakfast was something and English muffins and eggs. I didn't eat much because frankly, it did not taste good. During Chapel I went up to the staff room to do some devos all by my lonesome. So while I was up there, it just started POURING. It sounded like applause in an orchestra. Like that standing up and clapping while people are crying because what they witnessed was that beautiful. So at first I thought they were clapping and then it didn't calm down and I realized that it was rain. It was crazy. I wanted to go run outside. But it stopped really soon so I did not get a chance. It was good that it cleared up though, because then we were able to do our skills.
Tori did not want to participate in Sports and Games so we played ping pong inside the barn. For crafts, Tori made Zukko a flower and then wrote him a card. When she was done, she asked me to make him a red and black gimp bracelet. But the string was too short so it became a keychain instead. Zukko has acquired quite a collection of things from Tori and he keeps them all in his pocket, which she is just very happy about. Whenever he comes over to her and says something, she just turns away and doesn't look at him, but as soon as he walks away she just fist pumps the air and yells 'OH YEAH' It's funny. She also discovered a hole puncher in Crafts, so a lot of time was spend poking holes in things. She then decided that the hole puncher was hers and she was going to keep in forever. Which she had done for almost every item that took her fancy. So, like every other item, I just let her hang on to it until she got bored and put it down, in which case I would pick it up and hide it. However, the hole punching phase lasted until Outdoor Survival, but all they were doing in Outdoor Survival was colouring because it was extremely windy and pouring rain. So Tori and I went back inside the Chapel to hole punch various things until it was time for Drama, to which we came down from the barn, Fiona gave Tori a bracelet and then Tori and I went upstairs to play air hockey. Well, Tori played air hockey with Caleb, and I was the referee.
I've been telling you all week how good the kids have been to her and how they always ask her to play and go up and talk to her. But the crazy thing that kind of struck me was that almost all of them didn't realize she had a disability. It's not like she didn't look or act like it, because she did very much so. It just didn't register with them that she was different. They just saw her as an equal, as another kid. And that was so cool to see the innocence in them. I'd have campers come up to me and ask me questions like 'Why are you always with Tori?' or 'It's not fair you just stay with one camper!' or they'd just be puzzled at why she got so much of my attention. I was talking with one of the campers and they were talking about feeling bad for having her repeat everything because they couldn't understand. Then they were said something along the lines of 'Does she just talk like that, or is there something else?' And that's the point where I just stepped back and wowed at the situation. These kids are so innocent and just love everyone so much. With a love that's coming from God, too. It was a sick thing to witness.
Lunch was Campers Choice, which is basically everyone gets to pick their faveourite meal of the week and eat that. So I had Shepard's Pie, Fries and a Sub. The same deal with dessert, so I had apple crumble. So good. Tori pretty much just dumped the bowl of pickles on her plate. She's been volunteering to scrape a lot lately and we kind of all figured out why, she'll scrape everyones plates on to one big plate and then pick through everyones nasty mushed up leftovers and eat from there. And she'll lick all the ketchup right off her plate. Like Brad at Scanlon. It was so gross. I got poprocks from Reanna in the mail, and I also was handed a wonderful bright blue note with the words 'Allahab called for Hanna B' I was excited. I hoped that meant you were home and I just couldn't wait to talk to you. I couldn't call you back at camp though, so I hope you weren't too crushed about not being able to talk to me. During cabin time, the girls just packed up all their stuff. Then in place of what would usually be a game, we had the "Settling of disputes" So all throughout the week, all the games we play, verses we lear, things we do, they earn us cabin point. Or "posse points" because of our western theme. So the cabin with the most posse points won. And there were different options.
One prize was a movie, there was 5 extra tuck stars, beach party, counsellor payback, pinata, and an ice cream sundae. We got the pinata, which ended up being filled with freezies. Tori was very saddened at not winning the movie but she was only acting sad for Zukko. T-Ko told her she could come watch the movie with them. So we were watching Ice Age 3, and she sat beside Zukko, while I went and got her tuck. We left the movie half way through to go to the waterfront before it got closed down for the beach party. She had fun swimming with Zukko and I even went in. Then we went back to the cabin and she got changed and sat on the porch eating my pop rocks and having her tuck. Meanwhile I was attacked my campers asking me my name. Half the camp is dead set on the fact that my name in Henrita. (Hen-ree-et-a) Which is false, but funny. I did tell all of my cabin my name though. Because I am cool like that. They all said I look like a Hanna, which I disagree. But I don't see myself as anything else.
Tori did not want to come inside the cabin for cabin time, and being extremely difficult. Plus she ended up forgetting 5 things which is completely her fault for not going and checking during cabin time. Silly girl. She didn't want to go anywhere because she was too busy looking at Zukko. She saw him at dinner though, so it's all good. We had sloppy joe's. So good. I remember when you first tried the Manwhiches. We had fudgesicles for dessert and then had the award ceremony of which camper won which award. It was cute. And after dinner, the parents arrived. Which was interesting to get to meet them all. It was sad to say goodbye, but I had no problems, it had been a good week. Tori showed her mom Zukko, which was probably fairly awkward on his part and I hung out with the other staff. We had our little closing ceremonies and it was all just fine and dandy. After all the campers left, it was clean up time. I moved all the chairs from the Chapel, swept the floor and brought a bunch of things upstairs into the programming office. Then I helped Phurbi put dishes away in the kitchen and went to go sweet Vista.
I was thanked so many times by Winnie and Porkchop for being there and helping out. They all swore that if I wasn't there, they literally would not have been able to do it. So that was nice to hear. We had a meeting in the Chapel after everyone was done cleaning. It took a little long because the guy campers apparently liked to build dams, so there were a lot of those to be taken down. The meeting started and we watched the camp video and rewinded/rewatched the part where Don-E fell flat on his face. We went over all the highlights of the week, and the top 10 reasons of why camp was great this week. Number one being "Temp was here helping us out" Which was really cool. They talked about all the campers and the choices made this week and what was cool, what was a struggle, and all sorts of things. There's also this thing called a 5 Dollar Holler. And that goes to the Staff Memeber who just worked the hardest, put forth the most work and just did an outstanding job that week, and they all awarded that to me, So I got a $5 Timmies card which I really didn't need. My the end of the night I also got a bag of fuzzy peaches and a wonderful card, thanking me. It was really sweet. And I felt very appreciated.
It was a weird feeling to leave. I mean, it wasn't breaking my heart to go, but it wasn't like I was celebrating that it was over, it was just a good week. A long week, but a good one. Plus coming home and spending my time webcaming with you made it all the better. In that short time I got to see your face, I preformed skits for you, laughed so hard someone came in to see if I was crying, fed you a fuzzy peach and then had a spaz when I found out what classes we have together. It was so wonderful. I get back around 4pm on Saturday. So I plan on seeing you almost everyday after that.
I miss you a lot. But I can not stay. Because in pretty much 3 hours I will crashed at Springvale getting ready to leave the country which is a very cool thing. I do love you very much, and it pleases me greatly that you were given cards to a mental health facility on my behalf. You are an amazing girl and talking to you last night made my week. I love you so much.
Tell Zoe 'Hi' and Beivenue au Canada pour moi. D'accord? Bein.
Je n'aime que toi
