Recently I spent the weekend at summer camp with 150ish Girl Scouts and their moms.  It’s our unofficial kickoff to the new school year.  The girls spend time boating, swimming, playing games, and developing skills such as cooking and archery.  The girls absolutely love it.  I slept in a bunk bed in a cabin with three other moms and eight 13 year old girls.  You can imagine the mess and the mood swings especially after they were in the hot Georgia sun all day.

Did I enjoy sleeping in a bunk bed?  Not one bit. 😣 I thought those days were long  behind me.

Did we have tears and hurt feelings?  Yes. See above re:  8 teenage girls.

Was the food edible?  Barely.

Did the girls not want it to end?  Yes.

I keep looking back at the photos of the girls from the weekend, and I know that being there for these girls is more important than a few creature comforts for one weekend.  Teenagers spend so much time at school and are so busy with all of their after school activities.  It’s not often that I as a parent get to spend a lot of time with my daughter while she’s hanging out with her friends.  In these scenarios I’ve noticed that the girls forget that moms are even there, and I get a window into how my daughter is out in the world.

The lesson here - take the time to make the memories. 😎