July 7th

Dear Mom,

Well I'm all settled here in Cabin 6A. Mary Anne is a counselor in the same cabin, which is pretty cool since I haven't gotten to see a lot of her or the older BSC members since I came back Riverbend. It will be fun to catch up on what's going on with her life. I know you were hoping that I'd be with Claire in case she gets homesick, but I really think it's better for her that she's in a different cabin. After all, she's 7 years old now and it's time that she learn to be independent from us. I'm sure she'll be fine- it will be good for her. Besides, Abby is her counselor and she'll keep an eye on Claire.

Mom, I can't believe that you raised eight kids. I'm having a hard enough time with six girls, and I have Mary Anne and Carla, my co-cit, to help me! These little girls are quite rowdy and we already had quite a few squabbles over who's gonna bunk with who. I didn't even get to unpack my stuff yet, I had to help this one girl, her name is Kate, unpack her stuff. She actually reminds me a lot of Karen Brewer, except that she's a red head. She's a bundle of energy and can't sit still for two seconds.

Once we got everything straightened out we went with Mary Anne and the 6B cabin to Arts and Crafts, because she's the counselor assigned there. We helped the girls make lanyards to keep their nametags on. Six year olds are the only campers who have to wear name tags all day, and that's only because they are so young. Arts and Crafts was fine, but dinner was an ordeal. First we had to go back to the cabins and get the girls washed for dinner. Then I had to help a little girl named Tabitha get her meal straightened out because she's allergic to everything- nuts, strawberries, milk, shell-fish, you name it! Luckily her mother was well- prepared and notified Mrs. Means in advance. We still had to keep a close eye on her. Maybe she should have been in Abby's cabin! I was hoping to get to talk to Jessi, or Mandi Higgins (the girl from camp I used to write to, remember?) but I was so busy with my campers I didn't get the chance.

I didn't even get the chance to talk to Jessi at the Flagpole Ceremony/Sing a Long we had that night. I had to stay with my campers, and try and get them to sit still while Mrs. Means read the camp rules, did introductions and then while a bunch of the older girls led us in various renditions of old camp songs. By then it was dark and my campers were exhausted so we took them straight back to the cabin and put them to bed. Like I said mom, six year olds are a lot of work. I don't how you did it eight times!

I'll write more soon, I think I'm gonna turn in now- we're taking the girls to swim lessons tomorrow. wish me luck!
Love (your busy daughter),
Mallory