NWSRA Camp

This morning I put the kids in the Pilot and headed out toward Prince of Peace church to take Nikko to his first NWSRA camp. He'll be in it M/W/F for the next three weeks. I have been very nervous about making sure his backpack has everything on their detailed list, all his items labelled, his lunch (ok, it's a Lunchable) and snack packed, pull-ups and wipes together, and swim gear assembled. Remember that Nikko had missed last week's camp days because he was in that training class, so I haven't communicated with the NWSRA people for two weeks. We entered a gymnasium to meet up with the aides and I was thrown a little loop when Debbie (the psych) told me that Sam wasn't going to be Nikko's aide. Instead, it was a girl named Michelle who was running late. When I met her, she was a blonde girl, probably in college, and was very polite but didn't ask anything complicated other than did Nikko have any food allergies. Another boy, middle school maybe, was a volunteer assigned to help Michelle with Nikko and her two other charges, a boy named Colin and another kid that I didn't meet. In the gym, when it was time to go, I knelt down and said to Nikko, "Bye Nikko, see you later, have fun!" He leaned in to give me a kiss, then promptly turned around and started walking toward the door, grabbing Michelle's hand when she offered it.

And that was it!

I was surprised that Nikko didn't linger, didn't look back, and didn't have any resistance or a meltdown. I just handed Nikko off to a complete stranger and he didn't even know what he was walking into. When I look at the grand scheme of things as of late, it seems that Nikko has been very open to being outside of his home environment, even open to trying new things. And all along I thought he'd just be clingy on me. I should have remembered that he transitioned into ESY well, and that he had only a tiny bit of whining on the bus to the Illinois Experiential Training camp, for one morning. Their day included a field trip to Pirate's Cove in Elmhurst, then ended with time at Eagle Pool. We met the NWSRA team at the playground next to the pool and I let the other kids play on the apparatus since they have been cooped up inside all day with me. We were the last to leave, and ended up staying for a little snack before heading back. I really hope Nikko continues to have a successful camp experience. I also wonder what the plan will be when it rains.