The kids and I just got back from Jewish family camp. I wouldn't say it was transcendent, like it kind of was last year. For one thing, I had had time off to write earlier in the summer, which I hadn't last year. But it was solid and I give myself credit for ignoring David's whining--why do we have to come here--and focusing on his complaining about having to leave.

Camp is held at Sealth, one my favorite places on earth. If you recall my entry from last year, I kind of ignore the Jewish part of stuff and dwell in the natural beauty and ease of parenting when there is a beach around. I think David spent a total of 9 hours at the beach. Every night we would struggle through dinner--I hate chicken! I don't want a potato!--after I had spent all year trying to expand his diet, so it now includes chicken and potatoes. Then he would ask me to supervise him on the beach, and I always said yes. We would both skip the after dinner prayers, and he would get his fix of rock skipping, damn building, and jelly fish hunting.

The kids' camp is ok, not stellar. I love the activities Sealth provides--bouldering, archery, challenge course, the clay wall, and, of course, waterfront and hiking trails. I was less impressed with the rest of the programming. Lots of ga ga (the Israeli national sport). As a former camp counselor, I take pride in knowing lots of games for when the specialists aren't around. We need to build our counselors' repertoires.

David adored the talent show and did, in fact, eat enough not to be in a terrible mood all the time. My permitting cocoa at two out of three meals certainly helped. Rose made a fabulous lanyard--way fancier than anything I had ever produced. She has decided to learn the birkat, stomping and hand motions included. I read five articles about Hagar, wrote some bad poems, and took an amazingly wonderful hike around the entire perimeter of Sealth (geek moment for Crispin and Kelsey: Main camp to Kiwanis, up Kiwanis trail, through Wranglers, a little visit to Uncle Wigglebottom's, and down through Heaven.) We all reconnected with old friends and made new ones. Wait, that sounds like a song.