A Happy Camper!!

Week three, day three of Camp Coast and I am loving it, Cams is loving it, Nat and Mace are loving it!  The freedom of dropping Cams off and then saying to her sisters, "Okay, where do you want to go today?" is amazing! So far ,we haven't tackled any major outings due to the rain, appointments, etc., but just coming home and letting them have free rein of the house with no interference of Autism has been so nice for them. And when we go pick up Cams, they are actually excited to see her and play with her,which doesn't happen a lot!
And picking Cams up is always an experience. I swear there hasn't been a day yet that I don't walk with fear into the camp office, anticipating the news that Camryn has been kicked out for hurting. And these fears are not without reason. The very first day of camp, I walked in to sign her out and was greeted by her teacher with the news that Camryn had pinched just about everyone in the camp, teachers included. Yikes! My eyes got big and I bit my lip in embarrassment. The teacher was talking but I heard nothing, as my mind was fast forwarding through a summer of Camryn at home and all the things that would and would not be happening. There would now be none of this and lots of that and ohhhh, how is this going to work? "So, we will keep working on it with her and hopefully she will improve." What? Did the teacher just say Cam  could stay? "She can stay? She's not getting kicked out?" "Of course not" her teacher replied. "Believe me, we have dealt with alot worse. Just keep practicing nice hands with her at home." "Oh my gosh! I love you Ms. Kimmy!!" Whew!! Summer was still looking good!
That first day they had gone horseback riding, which for those of you who saw our show know is very therapeutic for children with special needs and Cams is s big fan! They said she broke away from the crowd and ran to the horses, putting her tiny hands on their mammoth heads and kissing their nose. Can anybody say fearless? She had a blast, despite the numerous pinching incidents.
Day two was swimming. Again, if you know Cams, then you know she is a water freak! She loves it!!! And that is precisely why we will not be having a home with a pool anytime in the near future. That girl will walk right in, bathing suit or flannel pajamas, doesn't matter. And this would not be that big of a deal if she could swim, but she can't, hence the big deal. But at Camp Coast, they not only get to go in the pool, they get lessons once a week! I know, amazing right? I knew she would love that and so going to pick her up I couldn't wait to hear about it. Well, yes she did have a blast in the pool. And yes, the pinching was a bit better, BUT, there was the biting a kid on the face incident. My eyes even wider than the day before, my mind was shouting "You have got to be kidding me?! Oh, she is surely out now!" I began to babble outloud to her teacher, "Oh, I am so sorry! Is the boy okay? These two days of camp have been great, maybe we can try again next year." But again, Ms. Kimmy gave me the assurance that Camryn was fine, the boy had gotten in a "tee-pee" with Camryn (something I highly recommend NOT doing) and she didn't want him there so she bit him. Handled, Camryn style.  She was disciplined, he was fine and actually verbalized to the teacher that in the future if he sees Cam in the tee-pee he won't be joining her and all was well. Yay!! And from there, while there have been more pinching and scratching incidences, they have been much more scattered than before. She is having so much fun and doing so many things that she wouldn't otherwise have done. Last week they went bowling, which while I was a bit concerned about the whole 10 lb. solid ball in the hands of a child who randomly throws things, I had faith that her counselor would keep close watch, which she did. Tomorrow they are going to the Florida Aquarium, where again, I have fears, mostly for the free swimming stingrays and live touch tank inhabitants (may God be with you) but I know she will love seeing the fish in the tanks. And lucky for them, they are in a tank with a lid, unlike the the little guys at Petsmart who still talk about the day they almost lost grandpa to a giant hand with pink fingernails. I'm not sure when, but the camp is going sailing and also to a bounce house facility. The horseback riding continues every Monday and on Wednesdays they chill, watch movies, do art and just relax( and I use that term oh so loosely). As you can tell, I am thrilled with Camp Coast. I feel so blessed that we were able to get Camryn in, as it really has made such a difference in our lives and sanity levels. For anybody home with their kids during the summer, you know how hard it is to entertain them. Even with blow up swimming pools, paper and crayons, Nintendo DS's  and 700 channels on T.V., they still manage to bore quickly and frequently feel the urge to tell you so. Now, with a child on the spectrum who doesn't find amusement in drawing, video games, televison shows or any of the ten million toys you purchased in vain that sit untouched in their rooms, summertime can be downright painful for their caretaker. Having camps like this one are like gold to parents like us and the fact that they are funded solely by donations is scary. I know I mentioned in my last post about the whole donation thing and I really am not trying to harp on it. I get no commission off donations made, no discount on Camryns tuition, only the peace of mind knowing that next summer, there will be a place for Camryn, where she can run, play and experience the world in all her Autistic splendor with no one judging her, making fun of her or fearing her (okay, that's not true, they will fear her, the little crab). And  yes, selfishly, I will be able to have a break from round the clock Autism, which can really take a toll on your spirit. And my other two little girls will have a summer to remember for the good times they had, for the "normal" times they had, running and playing in the yard, having their friends over without them having to lock themselves in the closet so Camryn won't pinch them (yes, that actually happened... so sorry sweet little Lucabella) and hanging out with me and having my undivided, Autism watch free attention. Things other parents may take for granted, but things I so, so appreciate. So, again, if you would like to make a donation, I am going to post the website and you can check it out for yourself and decide. I already have had people email me in repsonse to the last post, wanting to give. In these tough times, I know money is tight and even just passing on the word about this camp would help, perhaps finding it's way to more donors. Thank you so much!

Info on Camp C.O.A.S.T. (Children on the Autism Spectrum Together) can be found at www.suncoastymca.org  Thanks again!! :)