I had a super fun trip to Long Island last week, and I got to hang out with two sets of twins that will both be coming to camp for their first summer!
First, I met Alexis & Ilana who current 3rd graders, and will be Junior Girls at camp this summer. When I rang their doorbell in Roslyn, they answered wearing the adorable airbrushed Canadensis shirts above! I’ve gotten to meet these girls a few times…I gave them their tour of camp this summer, they came back to visit their cousin the next day for Visiting Day (Zach S was in boys bunk 8 last summer), and I saw them at the Canteen on the Fly in Long Island…but there is still so much stuff I didn’t know about these awesome girls!
Ilana is super sweet and did an excellent reading of reading the packing list reminders about not over packing for camp! Her favorite colors are red and purple…so maybe she’ll decide to decorate her camp bed that way? Alexis is ready for an adventure and will be the first to get in line for a big scary roller coaster! She was wearing a Mets shirt, which shows some of her “team spirit” and she’s also very patient (she waited with no problems while we were checking out Ilana’s room first). Her favorite colors are blue and pink. After the girls had shown me their rooms (both of them have a chair FILLED with stuffed animals in their room…so cute!), we went to their basement and wow! They have super cool parents who have let them and their friends write on the walls! There were names and pictures drawn everywhere…and “Canadensis” was up on the wall a bunch too! The girls even asked me to add my name, so I wrote it in their favorite colors – it was a big honor!
They already know a lot of stuff about camp because their mom is a Canadensis Alumni. Dad also went to sleepaway camp (the same one I grew up at!) and since cousin, Zach was at Canadensis last summer, they watched every episode of the Canadensis Today Show, and they are huge fans! They also have excellent memories, so they remembered the names of staff members, evening activity programs, camp shows, meals…and pretty much every detail about camp there is to know! They even remembered that my favorite snack is a can of Fresca with a Red Vine as a straw, and they sent me home with a thoughtful gift that I will be enjoying soon!
They’ve got tons of excitement and spirit! We took the photo above to show off their “pizzazz”! They stay busy during the year with after school activities, including dance classes, gymnastics and tennis. They also like drama, and they suggested we do “The Lion King” or “Mary Poppins” this summer – both are great suggestions! Alexis & Ilana are good skiers, so I’m sure they’ll be water-skiing around Lake Lenape this summer! During dinner, we enjoyed some good food (including a candy popcorn cake for dessert!), and the girls told me how much they love sauce! That means I’m going to have to warn their counselors about not wearing white shirts on pasta day! During dinner, we took a break to answer their really well planned questions about camp (see below) and they even did some “line dances” including the “Dougie” – they are totally ready for the Rak Dan Evening Activity this summer! Their birthday is only a few days away, and I wish them a ton of fun and their glow-in-the-dark roller skating party!
About 20 minutes away, I also met with twins who live in Melville, LI. Jessica and Amanda are current 4th graders, who will be Lower Inter Girls at camp for their first summer. Because my visit ran a bit long, the girls and I were up until almost 10PM on a school night – but they said they have no trouble staying up late…luckily, they are good at waking up in the morning too!
Jessica (or maybe she’ll go by the nickname “Jessie”) is super bubbly, and loves to talk! She has a personality that sparkles, almost as much as the sequiny shirt she was wearing! She was telling me about some of her favorite activities at her day camp, including the time she caught a coy fish! Amanda is incredibly sweet, and had some awesome questions to ask about camp! Amanda has a lot of nicknames she likes to use, including A.J. & Mandy, but she’ll let you know what she wants to be called this summer! The girls already know a bunch about camp because they took a tour last summer, they came to Canteen on the Fly to meet all of the camp staff, and best of all…they are friends with someone who came to camp last summer! Sarah A. was in girls bunk 4, but she will be a Lower Inter with Jessica and Amanda this summer. Sarah’s been giving them all the inside information about things like Color War and flashlight time.
Some of their favorite activities include soccer and dance. They also really like playing tennis, which is great because they have tennis courts right across the street from them! We will definitely teach them some extra tennis skills at camp which will improve their game! They are really excited for the ropes course and zip line at camp, and they are planning to work on their bike riding skills so they can hit the 12-miles of private Canadensis trails! Amanda & Jessica actually have bunk beds at home…how cool!? When I asked who slept on top, they said they switch every night, which proves they are great at sharing, and will be awesome bunkmates this summer.
I ended the home visit by going out to the car with their dad, and putting the “Camp Canadensis” magnet on the trunk! It’s official now, and all of Long Island will know where Amanda & Jessica are going to camp!
So, I told you above how Ilana & Alexis had really organized questions about camp…they actually made these giant posters that you see above which are covered with questions! I’ve never seen such an awesome display! If you have a home visit with one of the Canadensis directors, you definitely do not have to make an amazing art project like this (unless you have a snow day with time to waste!) – but it’s so important to spend some time in the days before thinking about questions to ask! We want to make sure campers and parents feel completely comfortable asking us anything…but if you forget anything, you can always call, email, tweet, facebook message, blog…
Rebecca is lovingly known by everyone at camp as “BeckyJ” and she loves summer camp so much that she is even studying it in college! She has recently signed up to return to camp for her 13th year – and for the first time, she will be in the role of Group Leader! We are so fortunate to have her at camp – she is creative, thoughtful, and makes everything more fun! She is passionate about all things Canadensis, and has limitless spirit! She is a two time Blue Team Color War Captain (as a CIT and counselor) and she can probably sing you every Color War Alma mater that has ever been written.
