Camp Seagull Can't Beat Down Team Brown

Being a part of a family requires teamwork.  I often refer to all of us as Team Brown. Everyone has a part to play on Team Brown and sometimes the parts are interchangeable. Someone is the coach, someone is the task master, someone is the medic, someone is first one done, someone is the last one done; and no role is specific to one person.  I love that about this family.  I have seen Sam be a coach to her brothers. I have seen Lisa lead the charge. I have seen TJ be good to the dog.  

This past weekend, Team Brown was very busy.  I flew home from Fort Knox, KY, to get the boys from Camp Seagull while Lisa took care of her mom; which is another long post for another time.  Needless to say, it was important for me to be home and help.

The drive to Camp is two and half hours, one way.  The boys spent four weeks there, sailing, swimming, shooting bow and arrows, and just being boys within a very safe and structured environment.  I love that Camp rewards them with really enriching, life long memories and skills.  Samantha can sail a keel boat, Grant has his US Power Boating license, and TJ became certified as a Life Guard this summer.  Truly, Camp is one of the last good places for children.

However, at the end of Camp - and at the end of one, two and half hour trip - there are two boys with all of their crap ready to come home.  Some of the clothing is still dirty or wet; or both.  Shower caddies are askew. Last year we didn't even realize we lost Grant's sheets until we got home.  The kids themselves are tired, slightly sunburned, and ready to go home.  This year however was a first. This year it was pouring down rain during pick up. This was not a gentle rain. Lightning and thunder punctuated they desire to get out of Arapahoe, NC!

TJ, God bless him, was ready.  Everything was packed, neat-ish, and ready to go.  Grant, on the hand, was a hot mess who we couldn't find for ten minutes, and then slipped and fell in the mud as he ran back to his cabin. His stuff was all over the place and went into the van piecemeal.  Patience is not my strongest virtue some times but since I hadn't seen Grant in a month, I kept it together. But seriously, can we insert an eyeroll here?!  With the promise of Chipotle when we got home we headed out Fuquay Varina. 

Within minutes Grant was asleep and TJ was catching up on his phone. Grant's camp cough turned out to be the flu, which wiped him out for days (along with a good case of pink eye), and TJ's camp cough might be a residual side effect of his Covid diagnosis. Either way, they are on the mend now. 

Within an hour, the rain passed and the sun came out for a nice ride home and the team was reunited when someone - who likes to do laundry - hugged us and made us dump the entire contents of the van onto the garage floor to be cleaned. 

Go Team Brown!