A helpful reminder

His sister’s complete list from which Deane choose his goals.

At least someone is focusing on fun.

While I sort laundry and fill out forms, Deane’s 11-year-old sister decided that her brother should set some fun goals for camp.

His sister, who is also going to sleep-over camp for the first time this year, had already compiled her own list. There are some similarities, but she knows her brother well enough to tailor his to him. She didn’t even suggest enjoying arts and crafts knowing he dislikes art as much as he hates fruit.

So her list included 16 items. The last was to come home with at least five of the first 15 checked off. Her suggestions ranged from going swimming to making an instructor laugh to getting a picture taken to staying up late. All good camp goals.

She then read them to Deane and let him say yes or no to each. These are the one that survived the cut:

1. Eat an entire meal (including dessert)

2. Have fun

3. Don’t watch your iPad all day (insert any screen as iPads aren’t allowed)

4. See a wild animal

5. Tell someone about the Toronto Raptors

6. Roast a marshmallow

It’s a pretty impressive list for a guy who whined and complained his way through three days of family camp last year. I’m shocked he chose not watching a screen for a whole day and I think roasting a marshmallow is highly unlikely. But what the list shows me is that he really does seem to have his mind wrapped around this camp thing.

In the midst of all the preparation, I’m glad that my kids are reminding me that there really is only one priority: Deane having fun.