Summer Camp

I have not written in a long while, since I am working long hours and am very tired when I get home. I decided that the happenings at camp are worth documenting, so I am going to play catch up and then post the days findings every evening. This is a lofty goal, so don't get your hopes up!

The following things are a glimpse at what I have learned over the course of the past two weeks:
1. Boys pay no attention whatsoever to what they are wearing, even when they dress themselves. I have endured everything from lost shirts, pants, and socks to lost underwear. HOW DO YOU LOSE YOUR UNDERWEAR?
2. Young children ( 5 year olds) do not care whose lap they are sitting in, they just want to be close to someone.
3. Walking in a straight line is something that must be taught, it is not an instinct.
4. In "kid"lish (kid English) "snack" can sometimes be confused with "eat everything in your lunchbox"
5. No matter how many times you ask them if they need to use the bathroom, they will always have to go after they get in the pool.
6. When some children say they HAVE to go to the bathroom, they MEAN it!
7. There is such a thing as a strong gag reflex.
8. Never underestimate the power of a band-aid, especially when it looks like a crayon.
9. Sometimes the smallest things can make us cry. Problems can seem really big at the time they are happening.
10. Everyone loves candy.
11. Swinging can feel like flying.
12. Underwear is not always easy to put on, everyone has their off days. (Sometimes both legs go through one hole and the wearer is too busy to notice.)
13. Both animals and small children bite. Hard and often.
14. Little boys can pee ANYWHERE.
15. There is nothing better then the feeling you get when a child lays his/her head against you.

Working at summer camp has been a trial for me and my fellow staff, but it is worth it. I learn something new every day. I laugh, I play, and I enjoy. The campers have taught me many things, and we are only in the second week of camp!

Laundry Observations

Matt and I went to the laundromat last night after work. We normally go on the weekends and emjoy the company of other young adults such as ourselves. Apparently the Tuesday night community is slightly different to say the least. I wrote this while sitting there waiting for the dryers to finish last night so it will be in the present tense.

In one corner we have the average middle age couple, dressed in button downs and kakhis. They are currently having a discussion about when to put the detergent into the wash cycle.

In another corner there is a lower income couple dressed in matching holey worn Budweiser T-shirts. The lady dressed hers up with white see-through stretch pants and no underwear. They were arguing about how many quarters make $3.00 and "Albert, you keep leaving pennies in your pockets!"

Another interesting couple was taking up the entire folding table. This neatly dressed Asian pair had apparently been saving their laundry for at least the past month. They did nearly 10 loads of wash and are now meticulously folding every article to perfection.

The thing that caught my interest about them (other than the obsene amount of clothing) was the way they treated their laundry. The "Bud Couple" transported their clean and dirty laundry in the same broken trash bag in comparison to the Asian couple who hang up their clothes or fold and put them in laundry baskets.

Even their attitude about being at the laundromat is very different. The middle age couple is having a nice conversation about their day, the Asian couple is too busy folding to talk, and the male part of the "Bud Couple" is putting quarter after quarter into the mechanical arm vending machine while his wife sits on the bench scowling at the world.

Attitude is everything, at least that is what they keep telling me. I am starting to believe it.

Being a fly on the wall in this situation makes me wonder 'who is watching me and what are they thinking?' Is my appearance/attudue giving the right impression?

Intro to Camp Pierce Webber

Today was my first day of camp training. It was long, boring, hot, muggy, and it rained for about 30 minutes. A wonderful start to a fun filled adventure. I am responsible for an entire group of 5 year olds who are going into kindergarten in the fall. Should be great fun filled with trials and tribulations (excellent preparation for student teaching in the fall). Will write more when my energy returns.

Wedding Disaster!

Yesterday I drove home to my mother's house. She called in sick to work and we took the day to complete some more of my wedding to-do list. I got up extra early so that we could make the most of the day. I arrived in Fairfield at about 8 AM and we immediately set out for Lewiston. The amazing bridal shop that I found there had a beautiful dress that fit me perfectly the first time I put it on. I was so impressed with them that I took my maid of honor there as well and she had similar good luck. Mom and I planned to drive down and pay off both of the dresses and take them home with us.
Upon arriving in Lewiston I successfully parallel parked (something I have not done since my driver's ed test) and we walked to the shop.
CLOSED
We both stared in horror at each other. Thoughts racing through our heads about how we should have called first, how much gas and time we just wasted, and how annoyed we were. Once the initial feelings of shock wore off, I looked more closely at the sign posted on the door. They open at 10 and we were there at 9:30. Okay...this I can deal with. We walked around the corner to a cafe and had a bagel and a great conversation about my future.
At 10:00 we headed back to the bridal shop. I told the smalle foreign store owner that I needed to pay off and pick up my dress and the maid of honor's dress. She paused for a moment and then went about finding all of the layaway paperwork. She ordered her daughter in Greek to go and get both of the dresses as she ran my credit card.
The daughter returned with Michelle's dress and a flustered look on her face. They started talking more in Greek and then they both disappeared.
I looked at Michelle's dress and panicked. I have been buying decorations and planning for this wedding for more than 6 months. I thought her dress was burgundy...it is something called Amberguine AKA PURPLE. My breathing gets heavy and I look at my Mom with wild eyes.
"Oh my God! I am planning with the wrong color!"
Being the practical person she is, she starts listing off all of the things burgundy that I have purchased. She tells me not to worry, it can all be fixed and that nothing has been wasted..... yet.
My breathing slows slightly and I see the store owner's daughter walk out of the basement empty handed. She asks me when I would like to come in for the fitting, and I told her that the dress fits perfectly and needs no alterations. She then asked me what it looks like ( I thought she was just being nice) so I told her. Then she says "Okay, I go look again."
This time it is Mom that is panicked. She looks at me and says "Okay, now we worry!"
Why can't they find my dress? Did they sell it? Did they lose it? What will I do? I have to have a dress! I have no time to find another one, let alond one that fits perfectly!
They finally found the dress at the same moment I discover that Michelle's dress has been ordered in the wrong size.
I demand that I get to try on my dress before I leave the store, thinking if it doesn't fit we are going to be in the same position as if they had lost it. I try it on and thankfully, everything fits.
Mom clears up the size difference and apparently it should fit her better according to her measurements.
Things are looking better.
Where are my shoes, veil, jewelry, petticoat, and tiara?
It took another 20 min to locate all of the items that I had just paid for.
One last question...Where are Michelle's shoes?
She, as of right now, has a deep purple dress and white bridal shoes. How appropriate. They were ordered three months ago! Why are they not dyed???!
Thankfully she will be mailing the dyed shoes to me.
I start thinking "What if I had done this a week or less before the wedding?" I don't think I could have coped.
Everything is settled on the dress front. I need to change the color of everything I have boughten, but no biggie...right?

The rest I will shorten, since I am sure that all of you have better things to do than read about me complaining...
1. We got lost in Lewiston for more than 20 min.
2. JoAnn fabrics carries next to nothing in my new color.
3. I got a wedding cake.
4. Flowers are still not done, but a girl can only take so much in one day.

The end.

Approaching the date

MattSarah
Originally uploaded by SarahJames.

I can't believe it is June first already! You know what that means? Only one month and 16 days left until the wedding! Most of the planning is finished with the exception of the cake and the flowers, but I am so nervous. I know without a doubt that Matt is the one that I want to be with for the rest of my life, but I can't avoid thinking about the fact that I will never date or kiss another man again. Matt and I have been together seriously for over 2 years and we are practically married now, and our families have accepted the significant other with open arms. Why is it that the ceremony makes butterflies in my stomach?
It is going to be the most emotional day of my life (save for the birth of our children). Even talking about it with Matt makes my eyes get misty and I think about how lucky I am to have him. He tells me constantly that he loves me more than life itself and I have never believed in anything so much in my life. Matt makes me life complete and I am so glad that he feels the same about me. Day to day it is easy to forget about how much we love each other when we are making the movements through daily life. It is difficult to feel romantic when we are shopping in the grocery store or arguing about what movie to rent from Blockbuster, but somehow he does it. When we started dating and were in the "honeymoon" phase of our relationship, we used to joke about how we were the "annoying couple" that couldn't be away from each other. We would cuddle while we waited in line at the movie theatre, we would hug and kiss in the middle of the mall, and we spent every waking moment together. I waited and waited, expecting that this phase would soon be over and we would go back to the way things were....but, for those of you who know us, it has been more than 2 years and we are still that "annoying couple." I am very thankful to have such a healthy and loving relationship.
I guess I am less nervous about the ceremony than I am excited. I can't wait to be Sarah James, forever loving wife of Matthew.