Wooten 2012

Another awesome week of teaching at Camp Wooten with our school's 5th graders has come and gone again. We had an unusually small group of kids this year making for a much more laid back schedule and the chance to get to know more students. A nice change of pace. 

The Compass class team. As always we had super duper T.A.'s helping to make sure that all our students returned from their trekking. It takes many people to make this class go smoothly.  Thanks guys for all of your help!

The WOW (Women of Wooten)...a force to be reckoned with.

My sister & I.  I really enjoyed working with her this year. she's really starting to step out of her shell and learning to lead. It's been a fun process to witness & was super helpful this year.

Our some what smaller staff...less kids = less staff. As always, a great team to work with. They make the week a blast.

Lastly, Me, My Mom & Sister...it's always nice to have family around.

Now that the inventory has been completed, things have been packed away, and notes for next year have been made, it's time to enjoy a few months off before we start prepping again.... :)

A HUGE thanks goes out to Randy for playing Mr.Mom while I was gone. He did an awesome job running kids around and holding down the fort. I know it's not an easy week for him and I appreciate all that he so willingly did. Love ya, Ran!

Camp Wooten '11

Yet another week of Wooten has come and gone. How that's possible, I don't know. This marks my 12th year of teaching at Camp Wooten....CRAZY, I know! It was yet another fabulous week spent teaching 5th graders and working with amazing staff.

For your viewing pleasure, Here are a few pictures from the week:

Camp directors, Ryder and Schuster

Teaching basic orienteering  (how to use a map and compass to navigate)

The awards team

Handing out awards indoors due to massive rain. As a side note: Most all pictures of me up look like this. Evidently, I never stop talking.... :)

The teaching staff enjoying a chance to sit down together while coloring awards for the week.

Running the Amazing Race challenge (Each year it grows and has become an awesome rec. period, if you ask me. ;) I've already come up more ideas for next year. Now just to remember them all!

Thinking of something sneaky....always got something up our sleeves. :)

Hanging out after after along day.

My Mom and her girls. My mom's been a cook for the past 12 years and my little sister has been helping me teach my class for the past three years.

And one last picture before heading home. Until next year....

Camp Wooten 2010

Highlights:

• Fabulous weather. The best weather we've had in a very, very, very long time.
• Great kids.
• Piloting a new survivor challenge course. (I had this crazy idea and was actually able to pull it off. A big thanks to everyone that pitched in and worked up to the last minute with me!)
• Getting a few breaks. A first in many years due to being so short staffed.
• Seeing the stars also nice to get away from the city lights and really take in the beauty of nature.
• Great staff. It really makes a huge difference when you know that you have people surrounding you that you can depend on and enjoy being around.

Camp Wooten 2009

Here's a look back on a great week filled with crazy cold weather, lots of hard work, great staff, lots of laughs and a ton of fun.

Now it's time to start working on the plans for next year!

A Birthday Crown

Here's a little something I whipped up moments before heading off to camp to surprise my little sister with.
Her Birthday was mid camp week and she just happened to be coming to camp this year...he,he,he! If you know my little sister at all you know that she doesn't enjoy public attention. So what did I do...Yep that's right, I announced it in the dinning hall during breakfast & had everyone sing to her. Then at lunch we had her stand on the milk crates in front of everyone (complete with crown) to present her with an ice cream sundae & one more round of "Happy Birthday!"
I love you kiddo!Happy 20th Birthday Krystal!!! I hope it was a memorable day filled with lots of love and well wishes.

A long camp day with the kids

Because I still had responsibilities at camp, I packed my kids up really early in the morning & brought them back with me on Thursday. Thank goodness for great kids!!! They followed me around as I taught my classes and my daughter was so thrilled to be at camp with the big kids. She wanted to do everything that the students were doing. I was luck enough to have three great TA's (6th & 7th graders) that loved doing things with the kids & helping me out when I needed an extra hand. Here are some pictures of the kids first experience going to camp:



This was what I looked like most of the time while doing things

Everyone was constantly stealing my son (I love his little cougs hat...so cute!)

checking out the sleeping arrangements...

One of my super cute TAs playing with the kids

Spending some time w/ grandma on her break. My mom even took her on a little hike around camp. She loved it!

Hanging out in the kitchen with grandma, while everyone was at campfire.
Overall, it was a great day filled with lots of things to do & lots of fun memories. My daughter still talks about it all the time& it was a great way for the kids to see where mom is when she is "at camp".

I AM BACK!!!

Like a bad dream, I have returned! I survived a crazy week filled with awesome kids, old friends, a ton of driving & now am scrambling to get everything back to the normal. I ended up driving up to Wooten REALLY early Tuesday morning but had to come back Wednesday night due to having no sitter Thursday (a really long frustrating story).
I took a ton of pictures in between things & got some really cool pictures for the school yearbook. I wish I could post them but feel that it is not okay to post student pictures on here. So below are some fun pictures of the staff:

Warning: BUCKLE UP, it's a long one!

The annual Don & Heather "teaching" picture...really we do teach!

Proof that we do work...I actually got the flags folded perfectly (no strips showing at all) two nights in a row!

The AWESOME kitchen staff

The pastry chefs...they are amazing & a cute couple.

Enjoying the great food. For real...I am not being sarcastic...it's all made from scratch.

My mom & I enjoying a moment together (what a horrible picture of me, why am I standing so frumpy?)Don "the hula king" and Bob
Jim at campfire...I have no idea what he was doing...
Ted...being Ted...

Can you believe that amount of snow still in base camp?! The guys actually had to shovel things out before the kids got there.
Super fun girls...Becky & Kristina...watch out Wooten we WILL be back

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?...

Lisa "helping" the kids fish

Off to camp I go

Well I am off to Wooten! I was looking through things while packing & discovered that this will be my 9th year teaching with them. How have I served all these years working with Don?! We have had some good times (& some really challenging ones) teaching our class & running so many activities up there. It will be a bit different this year as I am only going up to teach my classes for a couple days instead of being there from Sunday - Friday but am sure that it will be a good time. Wish me luck & good weather.

Randy is on his own with the kids while I am gone...kept him & the kids in your thoughts. He should be fine but this his first time overnight with both kids. It will be quite the adventure for all of them.