Teddy goes to Camp

Yep, you read that correctly. And if you've ever watched the movie Ernest Goes to Camp, I'm pretty sure there were just as many adventures, just different kinds. We can only imagine how the week went exactly because we dropped him off Sunday afternoon ... heard nothing all week ... and picked him up this morning. 

No news is good news when your child is at camp, though it leaves quite a bit to the imagination. But we felt as comfortable as possible in leaving our non-speaking, adventurous, thrill-seeking child who likes to test boundaries and explore without limitations who takes a whole regimen of medications (mostly for seizures and sleep challenges) could be. 

Seriously, this camp through Easter Seals is specifically designed for campers (both kids and adults) with disabilities to enjoy a full camp experience tailored to their needs. The application for camp was incredibly thorough, and then there were countless forms to complete after he was accepted to camp. We even had to do temp checks the week prior to camp in an effort to prevent any illnesses from coming into camp. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a flurry of smiling staff and had the 3 counselors assigned to Teddy come greet us and walk us through the check-in process. (He wasn't staffed 3:1, but he got their full attention until another one of their campers arrived. There were 3 counselors assigned to Teddy and 2 other boys, so he had plenty of support and supervision.) Check in included another temp check and quick medical screening, meeting with counselors, spending time with an on-site nurse to review his medications and medical needs one more time and then finally hauling his gear to his cabin. Oh, and I signed a waiver to allow him to do a ropes course ... just in case. (Turns out he just wanted to watch the others and didn't want to join in the fun.)

Teddy was teaching his counselor how to play piano during check in.

And because we weren't sure what to expect, we brought all the gear. Loads of diapers (apparently 2 more packages than needed), extra clothes, his chair in case they needed to travel long distances or go for late-night walks to calm down for bed and 2 bean bags just in case they were needed as landing pads for his bed. We were told upon arrival that they could place his mattress on the floor as well. We lost one of his crocs on the way to unload his belongings, but someone found it before we left, so all was well.

(Fun fact: When we picked him up today, he was missing 2 chewy necklaces and a chewy toy. But he inherited a fake plastic mustache (weird!), a pair of shorts 2 sizes 2 small and a pair of socks. I can only imagine trying to keep everything straight when the campers can't do it themselves or voice whose belongings are theirs, even with everything labeled! Heck, I know what it's like with lost and found at a traditional camp!)

Before we left, the camp director came to us and said, "I know I've only known Teddy 10 minutes, but I already love him! He's so much fun!" And then she proceeded to show us a selfie of them. We heard pretty much the same report when we picked him up today, hearing about his smiles, giggles and his ticklish nature. 

While it was weird to have Teddy at camp, we tried to make the most of it with a few meals out, a couple nights camping, some hiking and biking, a waterpark visit and time at our land relaxing, reading and working on projects. AJ commented on how weird we were (especially me), but I told him this was simply us less stressed. It was such a wonderful week for us with memories made. 

We hiked to Devil's Door at Devil's Lake, definitely not a Teddy-friendly hike!

As for Teddy, we won't know the full extent of his adventures. But I know he had so much fun and was so tired from his adventures each day that sleep wasn't an issue! He got to go swimming, play on playgrounds, eat s'mores, dance party fun and field trips that included tractor/wagon rides. His counselor said he had a great week, and the camp director showed us a bike that he commandeered (that she has no clue how it got on camp grounds) and had a blast riding. 

We're all so glad for this experience and looking forward to next year! (Even if it was a really rough return home because he's extra tired, and we're all feeling all the emotions of coming back from camp ... it's just so much fun it's hard to leave and adjust to real life again.)