Every summer, Joshua's Therapeutic Recreation group has a "summer camp." It's a day camp for 6 weeks. The "kid" group (ages 8-18) go 5 days/week, but the "adult" group goes 3 days/week...for 6 weeks.
They basically do the same types of things that his regular TR group does, but it's in the SUMMER...so that makes it better. I don't know why.
All the FRIENDS look forward to summer camp for the 2-3 weeks they have off between the Spring semester...and when summer day camp starts.
"They" are social creatures, and "they" love seeing their FRIENDS.
Joshua missed the first week of TR summer camp, because he was gone to Camp Barnabas. But then he came back, and jumped right into the TR summer activities. After the very FIRST day back...on the way home in the car...he started the countdown to when it would end: "Uhhh...after this week, I only have 4 weeks of summer camp left."
Same thing the next week. "Uhhh...after THIS week, I only have THREE more weeks of summer camp."
"and so on and SO FOR..." as Joshua would say.
And then, every year, about this time...as the summer program starts winding down, Joshua will say, "I'm gonna miss my friends, but I'm kind of ready for a BREAK."
This line of thought typically lasts 1 week, at the most, until he is saying things like, "uhhh...two more weeks until the pool party." Or asking me, "what day does TR start back for the Fall?"
It's always a countdown for something...because he loves a routine. And because he likes to know what's going on....and what is NEXT.
So, today was the last day of the summer term. Joshua was both excited AND sad. He told me over and over that he was "ready for a break." Maybe he is, but I think it's what he has to tell himself to get him through until the Fall term starts.
Tonight, as he went up to bed, I told him, "DO NOT get up at the crack-of-dawn." And, he replied, "I'm done with TR for the summer, so why would I?"
"Satisfy us each morning with Your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives." Psalm 90:14
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