So where did all the COTOCians go??

[copcarguy]

Hello my camping friends...  Where did you all go??  You would think with the weather getting colder, everyone would be here on PUT dreaming about the next camping season...  Haven't heard a peep.  Hope everyone is okay.

[kathybrj]

our family is hibernating...

actually, we're busy with band, chorus and indoor soccer season. The non-camping season is when the kids get to do their thing! :p

[tlhdoc]

We are here too.   You are the one that is going camping in the warm weather without us. :mad:   You didn't even invite us to join you. :eek:  :Y

[DiW]

I'm around too - just not as much. Just been busy with kids' activities and college visits, etc. I was sad last weekend because I remember camping last year over our long weekend (teacher's convention here in NJ). This year it was a trip to Phili (J doctor stuff and C college stuff). I WANT TO GO CAMPING. Any chance of a December warm spell? A girl can hope, can't she.
Di

[Tim5055]

Any chance of a December warm spell?
Di

Diane,

I know it's a little far, but I hear the weather will ber great in Fort Wilderness in December :Y

[tlhdoc]

Tim too bad it takes the whole weekend to drive there and back. :J

[tlhdoc]

Any chance of a December warm spell?

Di how about a group of us renting a lodge at a state park?

[PI]

We're here. Had to move our business home. The apartment upstairs from our office left the water running in his sink and then went to bed. The ceiling came down on my desk while we were away camping with friends. Fortunately, the water didn't destroy much but it did force to move in 2 days. Lots of work. I have office stuff in the living room, dining room, cellar, garage. I didn't think we had that much stuff in 2 rooms there.Had a busy summer with family things. Not as much camping as we would have liked. Hope you are all well. Maybe we can catch a camping trip in the spring with some of you !
PI

[SheBantam]

I know it's a little far, but I hear the weather will ber great in Fort Wilderness in December :Y

Lets see, if I got the tent in the Windstar...it is 14 hours to Daytona and another hour +/- to Disney...hey I could do this in one day. Towing, yes, two days.

We were going to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving, but Jeffrey cannot behave himself in school and has gotten suspended a couple of times, so I cannot justify 1) a vacation to MB for a kid who cannot behave, and 2) taking this same kid out of school for 2 days for a week of fun.

Now everybody (family friends and neighbors) have deceided that I am cooking Thanksgiving so they will be over (empty handed of course) for a full, free Thanksgiving dinner. I am making a rule, if you all (anyone)want to come over, you are welcome, just bring a dish, let me know what you are bringing so I or others do not duplicate the dish. No sodas, bread plastic cutlery or napkins or store bought salads or pies. I want you to bring that special dish that you cooked/baked so you can appreciate what the hostess goes through putting this all together.

[DiW]

Tracy, I love that idea but not sure I can pull it off. We're supposed to go to FL to see the family for Christmas but not sure who will be able to go. Kelsey's playing travel bball, Courtney is playing town bball and trying out for the HS swim team, and J is hoping to play something (if he's up to it and they let him). He also volunteers at the Y with handicapped kids on Sats. I'm quietly standing by waiting for tryouts; not as enthusiastic as I probably should be since it's to my advantage if they don't make the teams but I can't bring myself to say they can't participate. My brother's kids have never participated in anything - in fact, my sister-in-law refuses to drive them anywhere even though she only works mornings. Always said if they want to participate in something, they have to find a ride. Most kids won't mooch off of their friends (all the time) so they just never tried out for anything. I just don't get that. To make your kids forgo so many opportunities just to make the parent's life easier.

Guess that's why I like hanging out with campers so much; these parents actually ENJOY spending time with their families. So Tracy, I'll keep your idea in mind but not sure when I could go. Am thinking I could take off by myself sometime, esp if it's just for a weekend.
Di

[kathybrj]

I hear you DiW, about the kid's schedules. Here, I've put my foot down- they can each participate in 1 extracurricular activity only. We live 30 minutes from each of their schools and the schools are in opposite directions. Plus, travel soccer is at an indoor field that's 40 minutes, 1-way, away. With Friday afternoon practice from 4-5pm and then games at either 5-6 pm OR 8-9 pm, it's nearly impossible to do, unless we carpool. That time between 6 and 8 is a real pain in the rump! Nothing to do and the indoor arena is in the middle of nowhere. Ugh!

Don't know what we're going to do if gas prices go up again. It's really putting a strain on our budget.  

We were talking about heading to SC over Christmas break, but there are tournaments and such, so it doesn't look like we'll be camping again before next April/May. This is why we told the kids only late fall to spring activities! Gotta keep camping time open!

Well, Mom's Taxi service needs to pull out now.....oy!

[DiW]

Kathy,
Just got back from a college open house. They sure are looking for the kids to be involved in EVERYTHING. They want to see sports (preferably more than one at the high school level), volunteerism (around here it's a minimum of 50 hrs to get credit for it), student gov't, several clubs - being an officer of that club of course, etc. All that in addition to being in the top 10% of the class as well as SATs in the 1250-1400 range. oh yeah, now you find out that you need to have taken the MOST difficult curriculum your school offers. SO even though you're doing honors classes all along, if you could have done AP courses all along, then suddenly honors doesn't look good enough. AHHHHH! This wasn't even a top tier school, but a state school. THe pressure these kids are under is crazy. Oh yeah, they said they like to see kids holding down part time jobs too. Yeah right! Sure am glad I'm not looking into IVY Leagues, can't even imagine what their standards are. My 14yo came home saying one of the girls in his class was upset because she got a 94 in a computer programming class. Apparently Krupa's mom told her she needed to get 100 in each of her classes (and these are weighted classes which means that 94 turns into a 99 in the GPA). THis is too much for me to think about. I WANT TO GO CAMPING.
Diane
Diane

[copcarguy]

Di - we have room in the Carmel if you'd like to go to Florida for a week.  

[kathybrj]

DiW- I can't imagine being back in school again. DS (8th grade) got his first quarter report card yesterday. 94.6 average, with two classes at 91 and some at 97 and 98. He was disappointed and said- TO ME- that he needs to work harder on those "low graded" classes (one was PE for goodness sakes- he didn't do well on the football unit and test).

Heck, I went out and bought a small ice cream cake for the kids- I thought they both did outstanding!  :S  But I want to know what teachers are telling him these grades aren't good enough, because he certainly isn't hearing it from us. He's already taken one PSAT for the heck of it, as did several of his fellow classmates. I was never consulted and I'll be in the school Monday afternoon to discuss issues with his guidance counselor.

He's gotten into student council, which doesn't require a big chunk of time- one day a week after school, a few clubs, soccer (all seasons), did a Make A Difference Day project, and chorus (for some really odd reason, but he likes it). He's stressing ME out with his talk of what he wants (needs??) to do in high school. I also thought honors classes would be sufficient, but I found out, with my nieces and nephews, that this isn't the case.

My oldest nephew was accepted in Syracuse University in the architechture program, but dropped out after 1 semester due to stress. He did 2 years at our local community college and just got accepted into Quinnipiac, in CT. for graphic design. This kid has been through the ringer, but he also just wasn't prepared for what is now expected of these kids.

We're developing a society of stressed out, antacid popping people. I think it's why I love camping so much- just getting away from all of it. The kids actually sleep better and I can see them relaxing and de-stressing.

[DiW]

Rick,
Don't tempt me. I am SO envious of you two.

Kathy,
I started out at U of D in the premed dept (they had an honors class of about 50 students and these kids were way too competitive for me). Several kids never left their rooms, even had meals brought in. Some had to maintain really high grades or their parents threatened to pull them out of school. One girl committed suicide. I hate to say but I've known others that did too. I was so not into that whole thing. To me, college was about finding yourself, growing up, learning from my own experiences and from others. I entered college at 17 and didn't know much about what I wanted. I changed my major all the time and never felt stresses about it. What a shame for these kids!

BTW, I have Quinnipiac on my list for Courtney to look at(as well as Southampton College in LI). Although Quinnipiac's not ranked all that high academically, it offers graphic arts and advertising and Courtney's math teacher just sent her son there (he was a top student). In my opinion, one of the most enticing reasons for us to go see it is there's a state part across from the campus and it's near the ocean. Can you see what I consider important? Maybe I'm not the best one to be guiding Courtney.
Diane