summer camp

Bass Pro Shops are currently hosting Family Summer Camp, something they do every summer. I've always wanted to go, but I'm glad we waited til this year. Today was our "family day", possibly David's last day off before his vacation (but we hope not). We went to 4 family workshops today: Hiking, Archery, Bird Watching, and Plants & Insects (all completely free). Dennis (though he was pretty wiggly some of the time), learned a good bit from each 20 minute workshop and earned a very cool pin for each. He answered the questions that were asked, and he knew the bird calls when he heard them! We scored some free stuff: Cutter sponsored the insect workshop, so we got bug repellant, and Banana Boat sponsored the hiking workshop, so free sunscreen from that one. Dennis got to do a craft (decorating a wooden wiggle fish) and practice his casting outside where they had set up buckets with metal fish bodies attached (the buckets were the mouths). And, he got to shoot a real Red Ryder BB gun at a target--he was very patiently given a lesson on gun operation and safety from the employee there and fired off a number of shots. He loved this, of course. We all went upstairs to the arcade firing range (also free during camp) and fired at all the targets. I'm not a fan of guns AT ALL, but Dennis really enjoyed himself. And he's so proud of the workshop pins he earned! He'll be furthering his nature education at church on Wednesday nights this summer as well through our God's World program.

After "camp", we shopped for gear for the big hiking trip that's now less than 2 weeks away. Dennis was so exhausted that he got a bit whiny. He tried his hardest to control himself, and he told us after we left the last shop that his tummy was bothering him. I asked if he was okay and he said "no." I asked what was wrong and he said "my tummy--it likes sugar but it doesn't like water." David decided then that he was hungry (the peanut butter and jelly sandwich picnic we had at Bass Pro just didn't last), and we got some McDonalds. Dennis finished every last crumb of his McNugget Happy Meal (with apple slices). I've never before seen him do that! It was a big day for all of us, I guess. He fell asleep as soon as we were 3 miles from home and didn't wake up for his transfer to bed. What a great time!