(Camp LonghornCrash-cPacking suorises make me questionparenti irgskills·

In the spirit of ibegan a pre-camp frenzy.raisinggood that required about sixlittle Parkies, trips to CVS,a few tomy husband Target, and several mar-and I last riage-alteringbrawls.Sunday put To start with, the packetour two old- mentions very noncha-est children lantly there are weeklyon the out- 'dancenightswiththemes.bound bus to While r think this is an

Camp Longhorn for three adorable tradition, I leftweeks. We arrived for the myself little time to pullsend-off with well-packed, together outfits for orange-hand-painted trunks, ma- and-blue night, hippietching monogrammed night, and plaid night.laundry bags.randback- There are two other eventspacks filled with crispsta- that requirespecialattire:tionary; lots of stamps, and Western day and green frogplenty of tic-tac-toe paper ... day (whateverthatis). 'As Istood thereteary-eyed, Honestly, with tuition atblowing kisses, I knew: It is $2,887per child for threea downright miracle that weeks ,of un-air-co ndi-we pulled this off. tioned fun with no hotWhen I went to camp, water, camp officials

moms just signed you up should send a counselor toand you went. But in the .my house to pack for me;modern age of competitive I know, I know, it's aboutsummer enrollment, characterbuildingandlife-acceptance is much like long friendship and yousorority rush. ' can't really put a price onWe sent our applications that. Although, if what I've

in May of last year and had heard is true and kids comeour camp visit and inter- home vvith new respect.forviews in Ju1y.We prayed authority and the desire tountil the letters of accept- keep their rooms clean, it'sance came inOctoberrhat ...areal bargain ..neither of our camper When I had finallywannabes had said any- labeled every item in thething like "my dad drinks house with indelible ink;beer" or "canwe bring our my husband surveyed theXbox?" stacks of clothing and gaveThis. is my first year as a me all sorts of smack about

Camp Longhorn mom; and what I considered appro- .so even though I have priatecamp wear.known for nearly nine So what, I didn't realizemonths the _date they that our son's AC/DC T-would be departing" I shirt said "Highway towaited until two nights Hell" on it. My bad. Hebefore to pull out.the, par-' could haveused'ittointim-. ent folder and look.at the' idate somepunk kid; but Ipacking list. took it out rememberingI mean, what could be on that no bullying is toler-

it besides a toothbrush, ated at Camp Longhorn.''sneakers, and underwear With acceptance andclearly labeled in Sharpie packingbehin4 us, Imarket. Well, believe me, it assumed I was done. Butsaid a lot of other stuff and UP resident.and Longhorn .

MerrittPatterson

mom Carol Robertsoncalled and just napperied tomention; "You sent thecabin charm, right?". I read NOTE Gabout a .charm. -.Is auld haveknown there ere unoffi-cial rulestha , if not fol- ,lowed, waul scar thecamper for life. After locating a silver ':"Appaloosa" .harm, as a 'safety precau iori I con- "d~cted are~-yide inter-:.Views looking for otherunknowns. I iscoveredthat it is also'commonprac- .tice to have a ",ift senttoyour daughter's "Big Sis/'·,and then ther was some- 'thing about a iatchthat.Iam still investig/ating. .And then for bick-up day,

I'm told that p entsstay in'a tacky mote the nightbefore and the i drive over'Saturday morni!ig. The lineof cars begins t' stack up ataround 6:30 a, m. and thegates 'open at 8:j'Oa.m.So inordert wrap this

whole camp thing up, Imust be prepar dto wait inthe 'car, in the lazing hotsun, with my 4~and 6.,year-.olds for approximately twohours ..Campers wishing to

'return the follc wing yearare sent "early bud" invita-tions if they h e proventhemselves. t be trueLonghorn ma erial. ' Ifeither ofmy kids screw thisup and deny me the oppor-.tunity to payth busands.of,.dollars, pack for clays,drive -',..hundreds of Ies, fight ."with my hus and,· and*experience all )f the par- ::enting inadequacies-that I: .felt this year, theY'll begrounded fora lo~g time.'Because I'm a Pdrkie mom,and thisisparlfit.._- __

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