Nuts

Isaac and Matt went away this past weekend to "camp". They participate in Indian Guides through the local YMCA, they are in the "Apache" tribe, and this was Winter Camp. Their tribal names are something like "Big Nut" and "Little Nut", or the equivalent. All the good ones were taken, ok?

My boys...  males... whatever you want to call them...  have participated in Winter Camp two years in a row, and it is comical that both years have been uncharacteristically cold and very white. Snow storms during both of the weekends. Like FEET of snow. Matt is from Dallas and if he had his way, we would not be situated in Ohio, so near the snow belt.

Throughout the weekend, Matt had sent me text messages telling me that all was good throughout the subzero evenings. Isaac was having a blast and sleeping well.

They came home on Sunday, and at bedtime, Isaac was in tears because he wanted to go back to camp. Tonight, Isaac could not bear to play with a new toy he bought for himself last week, which was a Jeep and tent, because it, again, brought him to tears because he missed Winter Camp so much.

After the intial teaful episode, Matt explained to me some of the "fun" with Winter Camp. Where, oh where, to begin with all of the craziness and good times...

• Apparently, you must "sneak" to the outhouse thingie to do your business - especially #2 - in the metal hole in the ground, because if anyone caught you doing your thang, you would be subjected to having a bucket of snow thrown over the partition on you as you poop.
• Boys, with shoes full of filth and ash (from the fire burning in the cabin), jump from bed to bed. Where they sleep.
• You go to bed so hot from the fire that you need to start peeling off layers. You wake up so freezing cold that you are unable to move because no one has added wood to the fire in the past couple of hours.

• As you can see, at Winter Camp, you are dressed to the nines. Hats, hunting attire, flannels, snow boots. Very seksy. And since you get to look so hot, there is no need to even change your clothes for three days.  
• The last boy to get into the cabin after a trip outside in a group has to eat yellow snow.
• Boys' faces are mangled on sledding hills from collisions with one another, sleds and Dads' boots.
• The sacrifices in the fire are unlimited... paper plates, plastic bottles ... nothing is safe if it will burn.
• Men serve each other their meals, which may include spaghetti with sausage and meatballs, strategically placed to look like a man's genitalia.

And so I say, THANK GOD that I am a girl, 'cause girls are not allowed at camp!