Re: s first day at sleepaway camp

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Today my went away to sleepaway camp for five days. She is seven years

old. This is a camp for kids with developmental disabilites

ranging in ages from six to eighteen. I should be fine coping because her 1:

1 counselor is also her 1:1 instructional aide at school who I also refer to

as s other mother (because they are together so much) and joined at the

hip.Anyway this camp does not allow parents to visit AT ALL!!! I feel so lost

without my as it is nighttime and she is not here. Reality is that she is

having the time of her life!!!! The camp site is new and the cabins are state

of the art with heat and air conditioning. Yet there is an ache in the pit of

my stomache that I cant get rid of. Then I think of singing with her new

friends around the campfire and I am o.k. for a bit longer. This also gives

me Quality time with whe is two and also with down syndrome.I never

realize how much I am missing of one to one time with . She is hilarious!

We

went out to dinner tonight and I said " " and she said " WHAT " clear as a

bell ! Her speech is AMAZING!! She talks in short sentences at two ! My mom

asked me tonight " Is megan going to be two or three? " I started to answer and

yelled three!!!! Truly the LOrd could not have given two kids that I could

love any more than these two angels. But I miss so much. Is anyone else

going through this???

I know I will be O.K.

[Guest guest]

We just had closing cermonies with Maverick and 's baseball team. My

friend mentioned that she was taking her son, 13 to camp for a week tomorrow.

The camp is about 4 hours away. It's specifically for people with

disabilities..they have different age groups come different weeks. A couple of

years ago

we went and toured it KNOWING that Maverick ,12 would LOVE it. He was 9 at

the time and his friend was going for the first time at age 10. I couldn't

let him go. And now, 3 yrs later I STILL can't let him go!

Am I overprotective or WHAT.!

My problem is that there would be a bunch of strangers caring for Maverick

and they don't know his capabilities or how QUICK he can be if there is

something he is interested in. I don't feel he would be safe. I am sure it is

different with having someone who KNOWS your child and cares for them being

there.

I feel bad because I KNOW that Mav would be having a wonderful time if it

weren't for his mom holding him back!

[Guest guest]

,

Let him go- and this from me, LOL!!!!! I am sending to a camp for

like 6 days- its a camp that specializes in Special Needs kids and has typical

kids too. (sorta like mainstreaming at camp). The camp people have been great.

They had an orientation, showed the kids videos, assured us how to call (not

to speak to the kids, but to check on them) and we can even email them.

When amanda saw the video at home ( which i had for 3 years and didnt show

her) she really wanted to go. She is very excited and the camp chef already

emailed me about her dietary restrictions and they are working it out with me.

I

will be pining the week she goes, as I did with my son last year- but I know

she will be well taken care of. The ratio will be 3:1 and we had a good

orientation about who the counselors are, etc.

She really wanted to go to the camp my son goes to, but there wasnt enough

specialization there. And this year they made a week long session instead of 2

so i could survive LOL!

Also, look for someplace that offers a weekend (AHRC sometimes has them) to

see if you can survive that first.

~ Mom to 12 DS and Diabetes Type 1 and 9 NY

[Guest guest]

,

Let him go. We let go and stay in the dorms for two weeks during MSAD's

summer program for the first time 3 yrs ago, she had a blast and they didn't

lose her.

Can't say the same for me, since I always seem to lose her. LOL I think it

has to do with the fact that they can actually have someone who really keeps

track of her while I have to do other things and when i look away or soemthing

she " s gone. sigh.

but let him go. just make sure he writes you a post card or two. hehe

Joy

[Guest guest]

Hi

I know will have a great time at camp and this is a great learning and

social experience for her, and a good experience for you. But you must miss

her terrible.

We've never had the experience of our kids going somewhere alone for any

longer than a school day and they are all older than , except for

.

Keep us posted on 's camp experiences.

Dad to , Kristi, (all three Down syndrome) and (Cri du

chat)

Husband to C.

Uncle to and whom Auntie and I miss very much living so far

away!

Re: s first day at sleepaway camp

> Hi all,

> Today my went away to sleepaway camp for five days. She is seven

years

> old. This is a camp for kids with developmental disabilites

> ranging in ages from six to eighteen. I should be fine coping because her

1:

> 1 counselor is also her 1:1 instructional aide at school who I also refer

to

> as s other mother (because they are together so much) and joined at

the

> hip.Anyway this camp does not allow parents to visit AT ALL!!! I feel so

lost

> without my as it is nighttime and she is not here. Reality is that

she is

> having the time of her life!!!! The camp site is new and the cabins are

state

> of the art with heat and air conditioning. Yet there is an ache in the pit

of

> my stomache that I cant get rid of. Then I think of singing with her

new

> friends around the campfire and I am o.k. for a bit longer. This also

gives

> me Quality time with whe is two and also with down syndrome.I never

> realize how much I am missing of one to one time with . She is

hilarious! We

> went out to dinner tonight and I said " " and she said " WHAT " clear as

a

> bell ! Her speech is AMAZING!! She talks in short sentences at two ! My

mom

> asked me tonight " Is megan going to be two or three? " I started to answer

and

> yelled three!!!! Truly the LOrd could not have given two kids that I could

> love any more than these two angels. But I miss so much. Is anyone

else

> going through this???

> I know I will be O.K.

>

>

> Click reply to all for messages to go to the list. Just hit reply for

messages to go to the sender of the message.

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

So, its unanimous! Let him go!!!!

[Guest guest]

Elaine,

Go to yai.org I know they are nation- wide and have programs up to 21 years

of age. maybe there is something or they can refer you to one in your area.

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know of a camp like this in the south? goes absolutely nuts

in the summer.

Elaine

Re: s first day at sleepaway camp

We just had closing cermonies with Maverick and 's baseball team. My

friend mentioned that she was taking her son, 13 to camp for a week tomorrow.

The camp is about 4 hours away. It's specifically for people with

disabilities..they have different age groups come different weeks. A couple

of years ago

we went and toured it KNOWING that Maverick ,12 would LOVE it. He was 9 at

the time and his friend was going for the first time at age 10. I couldn't

let him go. And now, 3 yrs later I STILL can't let him go!

Am I overprotective or WHAT.!

My problem is that there would be a bunch of strangers caring for Maverick

and they don't know his capabilities or how QUICK he can be if there is

something he is interested in. I don't feel he would be safe. I am sure it

is

different with having someone who KNOWS your child and cares for them being

there.

I feel bad because I KNOW that Mav would be having a wonderful time if it

weren't for his mom holding him back!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/14/2003 11:46:29 PM Central Standard Time,

Michdock@... writes:

> I couldn't

> let him go. And now, 3 yrs later I STILL can't let him go!

> Am I overprotective or WHAT.!

> My problem is that there would be a bunch of strangers caring for Maverick

> and they don't know his capabilities or how QUICK he can be if there is

> something he is interested in. I don't feel he would be safe. I am sure it

> is

> different with having someone who KNOWS your child and cares for them being

> there.

> I feel bad because I KNOW that Mav would be having a wonderful time if it

> weren't for his mom holding him back!

>

Hi

We are so much alike lolol I too haven't sent Sara. Reason 1 I am scared they

might lose her in the woods ..... she can disappear on me, 2 she does not do

well in the heat here, she can only tolerate the outside while swimming in our

pool, 3 Id miss her

Now the reason I tell Sara she cant go is " you don't stay in your own bed all

night, when you sleep alone then you can go " lolol this works as she's not

ready to sleep alone and I baby-sit her friends all summer so she's a happy busy

girl.

Kathy mom to Sara 11

(^) (^) (^) (^) (^)

,,\)/,,,\)/,,,\)/,,,\)/,,,\)/,,

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 6/15/2003 7:39:39 PM Central Standard Time,

linman42@... writes:

> ,

> So, its unanimous! Let him go!!!!

>

>

NO IT'S NOT lolol

Kathy mom to Sara 11

(^) (^) (^) (^) (^)

,,\)/,,,\)/,,,\)/,,,\)/,,,\)/,,

[Guest guest]

THANKS!!! I thought I was the ONLY overprotective mom!

W.

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for your replays to my e-mail about at camp. Today is day three

of camp and

I thought surely by now her camp counselor would have called to say what a

" grand ole time " they are having. I have to remember that no news is good news

!!!! My mom says lets drive up there with binoculars and see if we can hide

somewhere to get a glimpse of her!!! Very tempting!!! But I am enjoying one to

one time with . We went to the park yesterday and this morning we are off

to therapy. You moms with older kids remember ALL THOSE THERAPIES the little

ones go to from birth to three. Well goes to therapies five days a

week.After two and a half years of this I am slowing down(mostly because of my

age)

and I look forward to September coming when she will get her therapies at

school. Thats why I work P.M. shift. I want to go to day shift when turns

three so I can stay home with the girls instead of Grandma having them at

night. As most of you know, Shipp is my brother in law and we bought a

house

across the street from them. I can only imagine when the scool bus comes.

Together our six kids will fill up that little bus that comes!!!!! Anyway

please keep good thoughts that I make till Wednesday without having to resort

to the old binocolur trick!! Have a wonderful day!!! , mom to

and from California