The Fifth Grade Heads to Clear Creek

This is the most anticipated event for fifth grade. (In sixth grade, it's Space Camp.)

I was fortunate enough to be asked to go as one of the teachers/chaperones, and to drive Debbie Draper's Suburban loaded to the roof. That saved me the headache of going on the bus and afforded me the opportunity to listen to my scriptures for the 90-minute drive.

When we arrived, the caretaker told us that it had been -27 that morning, but fortunately they didn't expect any more sub-zero temps through our stay. It was 13 when we got off the bus, so we sent everyone to unpack in their cabins and get their snow gear on so they could play for a while. There was 5 feet of snow; the top 2 were pure powder. The boys immediately went to the snowbanks and broke out the sleds.

The other favorite activity of the boys was dodgeball. Griffin didn't want to get in the game, but he wanted to participate so he coached from the sidelines.

We decided we wanted to have our picture taken together on the first day rather than the last one, which we usually do. So from left to right, it's Debbie Draper, Tiffany Hone--and me!

After some play time, we decided to take them to the ropes course. (Unfortunately, the majority of it was under snow.) This is where they get to bury their teachers in snow. Since the school that went the week before us didn't allow their students to go in the snow (go figure), it was all untouched powder. The adults (the 3 teachers and a few dads) were given snowshoes to break the path. That is hard work!

Griffin was plain exhausted after the walk.

After we got back to the parking lot, it was the boys' turn to snowshoe. Griffin and I decided to go and break our own trail. Ellie and I had gone when she was there, but there wasn't nearly as much snow and the majority of it was packed, so it wasn't as difficult. Griffin probably made it 100 feet before having to take a rest, then deciding to turn around and be done.

Now it was time to build snow forts. The boys divided themselves into two groups with a prize of a king sized candy bar (per boy) on the line. This is "phase one" of Griffin's group. We called it "the hot tub."

After that part was finished, Griffin and his friends, Erik and Darrin, made themselves a security force to prevent any spies from the opposing team.

When they were both finished, we took pictures in them. Please excuse the goofy hair. Headbands aren't really conducive to keeping hair in the same place.

Here are the boys in the finished fort: the delicate arch, slide, tunnel, and hot tub.

That evening, after dinner, we broke out the karaoke (which failed miserably due to technical difficulties) and a movie (National Treasure) complete with popcorn, soda and movie snacks. When the movie was over, they returned to their cabins--to not sleep. Unfortunately, we can't go to bed until they are all asleep, so we were up to 1 waiting.

The next day, we spent some time going over the physical and chemical states of matter. (They hadn't done very well on their test.) This is Griffin and a few classmates illustrating the atoms in a solid.

Here they are as a liquid.

And finally, as a gas.

Then, it was time for more activities. This time they focused more on sledding.

The boys before they boarded the bus.

Since the rest of the pictures I have don't include either of us, I'll just include the last one with the three of us after 3 days. I had decided to take a shower (the "Executive Inn" cabin was nicely equipped with them) so I wasn't too freaked out by my appearance.

It was a great few days. I survived without ever being too cold, and Griffin had a great time as well. Bring on Space Camp!

Clear Creek

One of the highlights of fifth grade in Alpine School District is the opportunity to attend Clear Creek overnight camp (located just above Scofield Reservoir) each year. This camp also provides a week-long leadership training in the summer for stuents who want--and can afford--to participate. The boys left on Wednesday and the girls on Thursday. I went up with three other moms to chaperone and assist their teacher, Mrs. Draper (who, as previously mentioned, is also one of my good friends).

After much weeping and wailing from Griffin (who was sure that I wouldn't return), the time came for us to go. We left the school at 9:15 with 22 girls and the four moms and arrived a little before 11. Let me point out that three of the four moms have been to Girls Camp together, so we started to get these girls prepped and ready through songs and other games. The bus ride was certainly not peaceful.

The first order of the day upon our arrival and loading of luggage into the cabins? Dodge ball, boys against girls. I gave myself the assignment of chief photographer, thereby excusing myself from the more violent activities. (I did join in for a game of moms versus girls a little later.)

The activities included some science experiments, snow-shoeing, crafts, survival tactics, the movie Snow Dogs,

a ropes course,

the game Curses,

sledding and general merriment in the snow,

tug of war,

and karoake. Ellie sang two songs (one of which was Summer Nights from Grease, a truly filthy song, that hopefully 10-year-old girls don't understand!).

Unfortunately, Ellie saw the side of me that Maggie has seen for years. The "moms" performed three numbers: I Love Rock 'n Roll, Love is a Battlefield, and We're Not Gonna Take It. Ellie kind of sat through the first number, was hiding by the second, and left the room by the third. We had a long talk afterwards about it and how Maggie went through the same thing when I taught the sixth grade the Napoleon Dynamite dance and how by her girls' camp experience she realized she just had to get over it. Mrs./Sis. Draper reassured Ellie that what happened at Girls Camp/Clear Creek stayed at Girls Camp/Clear Creek. (Although helpful at the moment, Maggie told her later that all these things end up on videotape and become part of history.)

After a night with no sleep (no fault of the girls as they were asleep by 11--just my usual "go to camp and not sleep" situation), Ellie and I took advantage of some free time to go snow shoeing just by ourselves, except for the caretaker's dog, Jasper, who wanted to come along.


We packed up, cleaned the cabins, ate lunch, took some group pictures, then came back to Westmore.

me, Debbie Draper, Lisa Call, Diane Stringham, Terri Hatch,

Jordan Boswell, Carolyn and Paul Kenley

Once we got back into cell phone range, I started texting Ian, Mags and John to find out if the front door was locked. Not only were we an hour earlier than we had expected, but the van was back at the house so Ian could pick Ellie and I (and all of our stuff) up once we got back. Now we were early, had no mode of transportation, and no house keys. I figured no one would have locked it, but of course, it was locked. My friend, Cherise, took us home, but then came the next step: getting in the house. Ellie is fortunately still small enough that she could fit in through the dog door in the back. She just had to compete with the dogs who were trying to come out at the same time!

I stared at the television for a few minutes before Ellie wanted to go to her friends' house (as if they hadn't just spent over 24 hours together!), so I dropped her off, then came back for a few minutes before Ian and Mags got home.

I hope Ellie enjoyed it, even though she suffered mass humiliation.

P.S. When I went to pick Griffin up at the end of the school day, he said, "I didn't really miss you, Mom." Boy, that was a killer!