In the summer of 2008, our daughter Laura and her husband were in the process of moving to Knoxville, TN, and needed some help with their son Nathan. We had the bright idea to take granddaughter Allie with us, pick up Nathan, and head to a cabin in Gatlinburg for a few days. A change of scenery for us, quality time with some grandchildren, help for the moving folks -- a win-win. Right? Well, it turned out beautifully. The cousins thoroughly enjoyed each other, and we enjoyed them.
Granddaddy got to give some fishing lessons and some card-playing lessons, and we started thinking this was something we wanted to pursue in a more deliberate fashion. Our three children were very close during their growing up years, but they had gotten very scattered and busy with their various professions/marriages/families. The least we could do was to try to promote closeness among our children's children. So, our goals became: 1) Spend quality time with our grandchildren away from their parents. 2) Create an opportunity for the Pearson cousins to know, love, and appreciate each other. 3) Give their parents something to look forward to in the way of a break from full-time child care. 4) Allow our grandchildren to know US better.
Along the way, we realized that this would take some intentional planning, and that we needed to start off in a way that (hopefully) we could continue through the years. That's where the criteria of being "at least 3 years old and potty-trained" originated. The grands needed to have a certain level of personal skills under their belts -- feeding themselves, dressing themselves, going to the bathroom with very little help, etc. -- in order for Steve and me to physically be able to handle the responsibility AND enjoy it.
For some reason we thought that buying a travel trailer would be the answer to everything. So, our first official Pearson Cousins Camp 2009 brought together the firstborn children of each of our children -- Allie, Luke and Nathan. We loaded them into a brand, spanking new camper, pulled by a nice new truck and took off for a campground in Panama City Beach. Here they are below showing off their dolphin tattoos. You will notice that Nathan looks like he's been in a fight. Well, within minutes of getting him in our care, he took a nasty, head-first tumble down some outside steps. He was "over it" in just a few minutes, but he kept the battle scars for the whole week. I sure did hate calling to confess to his Momma. :(
The idea of having camp t-shirts was born during that first trip. You'll see them proudly displaying these as we are loading up to leave. We learned a lot on that trip about the habits of our grands -- what they liked to eat, drink, watch on TV, how well they could swim or how adventurous they were in the water, what made them laugh, what fascinated them at the beach or in a store, and how much they seemed to love each other.
It was very interesting to watch 3 firstborn children jockeying for position in this setting. With Allie being the oldest by 4 1/2 years, they quickly decided that she was the coolest and looked to her for leadership. Fortunately, she is a happy, sweet, obedient child -- which made our job much easier.
By the next year, we decided that there wasn't a camper on earth that could accommodate FIVE grandchildren and 2 adults comfortably for a week, plus the idea of a long drive didn't really appeal to us since 3 out of the 5 eligible campers had a considerable drive just to get to the start of Cousins Camp. So, we sold it.
When Cousins Camp 2010 came around, we were in the middle of building our present house near the river in Limestone County. So, we rented a cabin at Joe Wheeler, loaded up groceries, pool paraphernalia, craft supplies and games and made ourselves a great nest. In the picture above, the kids are clowning around while we got everything packed. In the picture below, Granddaddy Steve was "in his element" on the first morning baiting hooks and giving some fishing pointers. We had access to a pool and a lake for swimming and we LOVED counting all the deer we saw along the road.
Seth and Maggie were added to the mix in 2010 since they were now "3 and potty-trained." They fit right in and added to the merriment. Seth's parents were on a mission trip, and Maggie's momma had a new baby, so the timing was perfect for all concerned.
Our new house was ready and waiting when Cousins Camp 2011 came around. We still had the same five this year, so all of us knew a little more about what to expect from each other. Seth and Maggie were now 4, Nathan was 5, Luke was 6, and Allie was 10. Here they are about to ride to our neighborhood pool. I'm the "designated driver," while Steve kept law and order in the back. :)
The above picture shows a rare moment when everyone was cleaned up, with shoes on and hair combed. Can you tell how much they are learning to love each other?
In 2011, we implemented 2 new things. A Rules Chart and a Final Night Trophy Ceremony. We discovered that the rules did several things. It erased favoritism, and it made expectations about behavior more clear. They actually did a great job of reminding EACH OTHER about the rules -- especially the one that said "No whining!" In the trophy ceremony, Granddaddy called each one up individually and told them the special things he had noticed about them during the week. For instance, one got the award for being the bravest, while another got the Most Improved Swimmer award. One caught the most fish, while another was the best helper, etc.
We also started going on Mystery Trips. They LOVED this idea. Our big one in 2011 was loading up a picnic, telling everyone to be ready for swimming, and taking them to Spring Valley Beach. They were enchanted, so I'm very sure that Mystery Trips will forever be a part of our Cousins Camp agenda.
Less than a week ago, we completed the Official 4th Annual Cousins Camp 2012. You can see us above just as the final 2 campers arrived (yes, count 'em, SEVEN). Camp t-shirts and Rules Charts are in place. Smiles and anticipations are in big supply. Megan and Penelope have now been added to the group, so we have 2 three-year-olds, 2 five-year-olds, 1 six, 1 seven, and 1 eleven. We also have $375 worth of groceries in the fridge, freezer and pantry, and something special planned for each day.
What would we do without help from our friends?? I'd hate to have to find out. Bright and early on Monday morning, Lauren Cox and her 2 very talented daughters arrived with about 30 different music instruments. They demonstrated each one, played music games with the kids, and even allowed the kids to try as many as they wanted. Above they are all involved in a stick-passing game. It would have taken me a month to cover this much material in my past elementary music classes, and the cousins got it in just one morning. Thank you, Lauren, Deborah, and Beverly. Outstanding!
On Wednesday afternoon, we headed to the art studio of my friend Sanda Bishop in Rogersville, and each cousin did a separate and unique painting -- which will now decorate my bonus room. Sanda's ability to provide each child with a sense of accomplishment and success is a treasure. Thank you, Sanda.
We went back to Spring Valley Beach on Tuesday. Don't worry. We had a wonderful teenager -- Mahaley Swanner -- with us for several excursions during the week to provide an extra pair of eyes and hands. And, I would highly recommend finding additional help if you're taking a bunch of little ones swimming.
On Thursday we went to the Kiddie Movie in Florence. Only $2.00 for a movie, Coke and popcorn -- what a deal!! Then, since we'd been practicing good table manners and proper table conversation, etc. we did a test run to Cracker Barrel for lunch. They passed with flying colors and got to go to the Dollar Tree for treats. Happy day!
Between big events, we had games galore, crafts, archery, fishing, and "Go, Diego, Go." They all slept well, ate well, and obeyed well. I think I administered 1 teaspoon of cough medicine and 2 doses of Motrin during the week, and not a single Band-aid! Yippee!! Were we tired when they left? You betcha. Are we already making plans for next year? Absolutely!
On the last morning, we were outside making pictures before their parents arrived. I asked them to make various silly faces. The one above is supposed to be "mad faces." I think they're just mad/sad because we have to wait another whole year until the next Cousins Camp. There will be NINE eligible campers next year. Mercy!! Maybe a year of working out and vitamins will get us ready.
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