Kevin's Watch

I already posted these in the "How do you feel today?" thread, but I realized there were quite a few Watchers who care about what goes on with Beorn who may not read that thread. So, here are my first two posts on the subject.

Should I find anymore photos of Beorn on the camp's site, I'll share them. And if anyone is interested, I'll be happy to share further communications from Beorn as I receive them. I am so glad the camp is allowing us to pay off the balance I couldn't raise; I wouldn't have him miss this for the world...

*my apologies to those who did already read these and thought there may be something new*

*posted on Friday, July 20th at 10:50 am*

Today I am relieved and happy. It has taken about three months of planning and emails back and forth with the Executive Director rabbi of the camp Beorn attends each summer to work out their desire for Beorn to get the best experience out of camp he can. As their goals and my goals for the experience are different, it has been interesting.

In previous years, we barely received any communication from Beorn, as he does most written work on his laptop per his IEP, since his handwriting grip is agony for him. I never thought to address this issue with camp before, but did as I was communicating with the rabbi already this year. We mailed off a jump drive, and I was assured Beorn would be allowed to use a computer to write home.

Two days ago we received a postcard from Beorn. Word for word, here is all it said:

Beorn wrote: Dear parents,

I wanted to write on the computer, but they had already made this so I'm using it.

Love,
Beorn

Arggh!!

Of course, I wrote Rabbi Sykes right away. I have since had the following two emails from Beorn's Rosh Eidah, parent liason:

Rosh Eidah wrote: Hello!
I am the Senior Parent Liaison at camp this summer and am working with Rabbi Sykes and Beorn to ensure he has the best experience here.
I have the jump drive that you sent and have been negotiating times with Beorn and his counselors to come to my office to type up letters as we arranged.
After a few missed "appointments" I finally arranged for a fail-proof time, just to learn that the Nachshonim trip left earlier than I thought, and plans were foiled again.
Beorn returns tonight to camp with his eidah; I have put his writing home as my highest priority for tomorrow.
I apologize for the delay.

Thanks!

I responded that I hoped he remembered that I am more than happy to be contacted if they want any suggestions for getting Beorn more involved in activities, as it is the camp's policy to not contact home accept for extreme emergencies. I reminded him that Beorn is their guinae pig for an ASD child attending regular camp session. I also emphasized that unless written down or reminded five to ten minutes before a change in schedule that Beorn most likely will not remember it, as it is not ingrained as part of his routine. I received the following in reply:

Rosh Eidah wrote: Hi there.
The missed appointments were in no part due to Beorn. I anticipate his not remembering, so I asked the counselors to bring him personally during sha'at menucha, when other kids write home. It's a work in progress and hopefully this afternoon you'll get to hear some about his trip. I assume emailing you is ok? Everything has been great as far as I have seen. When I see Beorn he looks happy, I have seen him engaged, and happily watching from the sidelines with a counselor. I have heard of no concerning situations, so my hunch is he's doing great.
More to come,

So...the Rosh Eidah and I appear to have now established communication, which is highly unusual based on Beorn's previous camp experiences. I replied that I hope they do find ways to get Beorn more actively involved in activities, although from experience I know Beorn absorbs everything from simply observing.

And, I hope to hear more details of camp life from Beorn via email either later today or Sunday, as tonight and tomorrow are Shabbos, and I know he will not be given access to a computer then.

*relieved exhalation*

Also, while not the best quality picture, and Beorn quite obviously was not the subject of the picture, here is the only photo I've seen of him so far on the camp's site. He is the taller boy partially cut off on the left.

*posted on Friday, July 20th at 5:40 pm*

*tears of joy streaming down face*

Oh my g-ds. The Rosh Eidah followed through. Beorn has been going to this camp for seven years, and all our communications from him before have been like the postcard I shared above. I just received the following via email:

Beorn wrote: Dear Mommy and Daddy,

I miss you so much! I'm having fun and making new friends, and I got both of your emails, Mommy. I'd like you to write as well, Dad. My three counselors are Alex Peskin, Graeme Ossey, and Samuel Rotenburg. I also got a letter from Poppy with eight dollars in it. I spent all of them at the three day camping trip I just got back from at 9:30 last night.

Our camping trip this year was called an etgar, which is ivrit for challenge. (note: ivrit is ivrit for Hebrew. J) I shared a tent with Ben Mince, & Aaron and Harrison Shapiro. Everyone in my tent (except Harrison) was going white water rafting. On the last day the white water people had to get up an hour earlier than everyone else, but since we had to pack up our tents immediately Harrison had to get up with us at 4:35. The first day we went of a river without rapids, but each boat was given two water guns and a bucket. The water was so cold I screamed VERY LOUDLY every time we got splashed. Alex is watching me write this and just said at least I didn't cry like some of the female counselors. When we got back I found the camp store and spent $3 on 12oz. bottles of Coke at 60 cents apiece. Oh, yes. I almost forgot to tell you, we watched an R rated movie on the way up to the campsite in North Carolina. Yesterday we went on a river with LOTS of rapids, and my boat got stuck so much we got to the pick-up point an hour after everyone else. When we switched buses for the ride back we were at the campsite, so I spent another two dollars on chips and candy. Then I used the last three dollars on a large bag of dark chocolate M&M's and a two liter Coke bottle at the gas station we stopped at on the way back. I have half the bottle left.

There isn't much more to report. My Chug is radio and my sport is karate. I blobbed a lifeguard because no-one else heavy enough for me to be allowed to blob was willing to let me do it. I'm part of the set crew on Nacho live. I'm going to write Poppy after Shabbat, I have no time to right now. My Rosh's name is Josh, not Matt. That's all. Say high to Marty for me.

Love,

Beorn

I have no idea if any of you have any idea what this means to me. But right now I'm on cloud nine!!!

I am guessing the boy with Beorn is Harrison, as it is the same boy from the other photo. While Beorn has always asked me to request he be put in the same bunk as Harrison each year, he's never really expanded on that in the past.

I think, from what he wrote in his email, and from what I see in this new picture and the previous one, that I need to encourage Beorn to stay in touch via email once he gets home from camp. He and Harrison have never done that before, but I think this will be a good thing.

Hmm...

Again, not the best quality photo, and not a very good one of Beorn, but I'll take what I can get.



Oh...and yes dlb, indoctrination into the Gators begins young at this house...

*happy dance*

Oh joy! Oh rapture! I got a new email and pictures! His Rosh Eidah says it was saved to his hard drive as "Angry Letter."

Beorn wrote: Dear Mommy,

I love you very much, but I am disappointed that you didn't send me the Harry Potter book. I am, however, much more disappointed that you didn't at least send me an email telling me I wouldn't be getting it. Please send me the book, or at least an email telling me whether or not you will by tomorrow.

I forgot to tell you in my last letter, but on our camping trip the company we went with took some pictures of us and put them on their website, but not ours. The website is www.highmountainexpeditions.com, and we went on the Nolichucky River on the 18th. We went on a hike before going on the river, and I hope those pictures are in the same part of the website because there were some close-ups of me in that section. I've been having a lot of fun, I'm going to have $20 left at the end of camp because I wasn't told that the camping trip was the only time we'd be able to spend money. I was extremely annoyed with my counselors for not telling me before we left once I found out.

So, for the last time, please, PLEASE, PLEASE send me that book, or I will go from disappointed to ANGRY.

Love,
Beorn

tee-HEE!

Apparently he forgot that we discussed the new book before he left and that I told him there was no way I was sending it, based on what happened when I sent OotP to him at camp when it came out. I'll email him tonight and remind him.

Here are the pictures of the hike and white water rafting from the website he mentions. I can spot him right away in the rapid shots. Let me know if anyone needs me to point him out.

Looks like Beorn's having an awesome time! Totally jealous of him - I want to go rafting, too!

He does look like he's having a good time - as to the indoctrination, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (sigh.)

So glad someone has replied to my posts. This thread nearly felt like a blog there for awhile, and I seriously don't understand blogs. I much prefer interaction.

dlbpharmd wrote:He does look like he's having a good time - as to the indoctrination, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree (sigh.)

Let me know when you decide to share a picture of the girls in UT get up. I know UF had some adorable UF cheerleader outfits for young girls, does UT have the same and do your cubs wear them, Fenrir?

Well, as a matter of fact, I do!



^ Olivia and Rachel, just before going to see the Lady Vols, Fall 2005. Note the solid orange rug in my office.......



^ Eating ice cream at a Lady Vols game, sometime this past (National Championship) season - that's my sister holding Rachel (Olivia's not facing the camera, unfortunately.)

dlbpharmd wrote:Well, as a matter of fact, I do!

Awwww....

Those really are the most precious cubs I've seen in awhile.

Too bad the second picture shows the true horrible washed out color of Vol orange...

Great mini-blog there, Menolly! Glad Beorn is having a fab time (whaddya mean didn't understand that email? I got it - did you have problem with "blobbing the lifeguard"? hahaha!)

And I agree - the girls are so cute, dlbpharmd!