On the last day before winter break ended, I got to spend some time with Jordyn, a current 3rd grader that will be a Junior Girl at camp for her first summer.  I met her for the first time at her house, but it was clear from the home visit that she is going to be an awesome Canadensis camper…camp is in her genes because both of her parents went to great overnight camps when they were kids.  She lives in Lafayette Hill, PA and through her day camp and extra curricular activities, she’s met a lot of kids who have been going to Canadensis, or are coming for the first year.  I’m sure they will be looking out for her, and helping to make her first summer amazing.

There is a lot to know about Jordyn, but above all, she loves to sing and dance.  She gets a bit nervous to be on stage (just like me!) but it doesn’t stop her from performing, and most recently she played the role of Jan in Grease.  She is a well rounded girl, she loves to rock climb (even when she slips), she is excited to do the lake activities, and basically try anything that her bunk does.  She can learn how to do things really quickly…for example, her family went on a ski vacation last week, and she learned how to ski in one day, and made it all the way up to level six!  She also went swimming in a pool on vacation that was half indoors and half outside…which seems crazy for a winter ski resort!

Jordyn is most excited for dance because she dances two hours a week, she loves hip hop and plans to tryout for our dance team this summer!  She also was very excited for soccer & softball because she plays on teams for those sports as well.  She is also a great artist, and I got a tour of her room to see a bunch of her projects that she has made and painted.  She is a great student, and has tons of Golden Tickets and Awards on her wall from her teachers.  She’s also really neat, and had one of the cleanest camper closets I’ve ever seen – apparently she is good at folding!  Most importantly…Jordyn was the Gaga Champion of her camp age group last year, so you better watch out if she’s in the Gaga pit with you during Free Play!!

She also loves pillows, and we counted 19 of them on her bed at home! This will help her make friends easily at camp because she’ll have the most comfortable bed in her bunk!  She has a little brother named Jared (he’s a huge Eagles fan!), and she’s excited to meet her new “camp sisters” at Canadensis!

Speaking of sisters…check out this adorable photo of sisters Dylan, a current 1st grader who will be a Lower Junior Girl and Madison, a current 4th grader who will be a Lower Inter Girl. The girls will both be coming to camp for their first summer, and they found out during winter break by opening up a present that had these two Camp Canadensis t-shirts inside!!  Madison plans to wear it every day until camp starts (mom might have to put it in the washing machine while she’s away at school!), but clearly the girls are pumped for their first summer, and we can’t wait!

I had such a good time during Winter Break, I thought I’d make a Top 6 Memories list (I couldn’t stick to 5)…

#6: Waking up to breakfast in bed

#5: Going to see a taping of the Jimmy Fallon Show in NYC

#4: Doing tons of Arts & Crafts projects (see “I Made This” Monday…I have craft projects to post for months to come!)

#3: Baking Challah with my TBF (“The Best Friend”) and her 2 year old twins

#2: Going out to Chinese food on Christmas with friends and running into Marc Summers – host of my favorite childhood TV game show “Double Dare” and more recently the host of “Unwrapped” on the Food Network.  Marc Summers thought my friends son, Sammy, was SO CUTE that he actually came over and introduced himself!

#1: Without a doubt, meeting my cousin’s newest addition to the family, and being asked to be baby Simone’s legal guardian was one of the most special moments in my life!

Hello Canadensis!

First, I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  I hope 2012 brings everyone a great year ahead.  And, hopefully, just a few days in, everyone has stuck to their new year’s resolutions.  At the same time, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday time, whether it be some time off from school or work and an opportunity to be with friends and family.

During the holiday week, our camp office is completely closed so we can all enjoy some time off as well.  I typically don’t go anywhere, but really enjoy the days to relax.  As many of you know, I am a huge music lover.  For the holiday break, Jaime and I decided to “test” our love of music by attending four concerts in a row, including New Year’s Eve.  I had never ever gone to four concerts in a row, but we were up for the challenge and saw the band Phish play four sold out nights at Madison Square Garden.  I know what you’re saying.  Four shows sounds repetitive.  However, the great thing about this band is that in the four nights, they never repeated one song.  The New Year’s Eve show is also a special treat as the band usually pulls a “stunt” at midnight.  This year didn’t disappoint as the band had trapeze artists (disguised as fans in the crowd) dancing over the crowd at midnight.  Check it out by clicking here.  Great, fun stuff!

Of course, on top of four very musical nights, there was also two additional great nights as I attended both the Giants vs. Jets game and the Giants vs. Cowboys game.  Both games were must wins for my Big Blue and we are now in the playoffs.  Sorry Jets fans.  Sorry Eagles fans.  Sorry Cowboys fans.  Ha Ha!  How great were these plays by Victor Cruz versus the Jets and the Cowboys.  I have to learn how to salsa like him!  Ha Ha!

Of course, there was also some great at home time over the holiday break.  With what has seemingly become an annual tradition, Jaime and I built a ginger bread house.  We made a fire and broke out the icing and candy to build this holiday treat.  Here is a picture of the final product…

The holiday time for me brought the opportunity to see many camp families.  In Scotch Plains, NJ, I met up with Amanda and Kyle Burger.  Amanda, now in 5th grade, will be back at Canadensis for her 3rd summer as part of the Upper Inter Girls division.  She is excited to introduce to camp her brother Kyle, who is in 2nd grade and will be in our Junior Boys division.  This year, Amanda has been taking hip hop dance classes, preparing for a recital in the spring.  She is also taking piano lessons.  Amanda was also happy to tell me that she recently had a sleep over with bunkmate Valerie Solomon.  She is really looking forward to the reunion and wanted to give a shout out to the Girls of Bunk 8 from Summer 2011 and remind them of the clogged toilet chart.  As for Kyle, he is busy with a bunch of sports and plays flag football, basketball and soccer.  In the spring, he will also be trying lacrosse for the first time.  Speaking of first times, Kyle was psyched to tell me that he was going to his first NFL football game when the Jets played the Giants.  Kyle also loves video games and plays the drums.  This summer, he is ready to try rocketry, basketball, cooking, archery and the climbing wall.  Here is a photo…

Also in Scotch Plains, NJ, I got to hang out with the Steeles, Ava and Max.  Ava can’t wait for her 5th summer as a Lower Senior and receive her 5-Year jacket!  Now in the 7th grade, Ava is still playing lacrosse and cheerleading for the Scotch Plains / Fanwood Raiders teams.  She is also involved in hip hop and jazz dance classes and will be performing at a recital in the spring.  Ava wanted to give a shout out to the Girls of Bunk 13 from Summer 2011 and had an inside joke for them…don’t swing on shower curtains.  Ava is so thrilled that she will be joined at camp this summer by brother Max Steele, who is currently in the 5th grade and will be in our Upper Inter Boys division in his first summer.  Max just recently finished up his football season as he plays guard, tackle and defensive end for the Scotch Plains PAL Raiders.  He was very happy to tell me that the team won its first ever state championship!  In the winter, Max is playing center on his travel basketball team.  In the spring, he will move to travel baseball, where he plays outfield, catcher, third base and first base.  When at camp, Max can’t wait for Color War, lacrosse and hondas.  Here is a pic…

In Roslyn, NY, I got to see Jaymie and Avery Gilady.  Jaymie was telling me about how she is really enjoying middle school now that she is in 6th grade.  She is also taking art classes where she is primarily focusing on acrylic painting.  She is an avid reader and just told me that her most recent favorite book was “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” which she said was way better than the movie.  Jaymie will also be hosting a bunk sleep over in January.  She wanted to say hi to the Girls of Bunk 10 from Summer 2011 and can’t wait to see them.  As a Freshman Girl in 2012, Jaymie is really looking forward to her trip to Hershey Park.  As for Avery, now in the 3rd grade, he is still enjoys playing guitar and chess.  He is also currently in basketball season while also taking tennis lessons.  In the spring, he will move onto baseball.  He also recently saw all of his bunkmates at camp sleepover and wanted to give a shout out to the Boys of Bunk 3 from Summer 2011.  Next summer, Avery is looking forward to mountain bike rides as part of the Junior Boys division.  Here is a photo…

In Jericho, NY, I got to spend some time with Mandi Kurtz, who is in the 3rd grade and will be coming to camp for her very first summer as part of the Junior Girls division.  Mandi is very busy with her competitive dance team in which she performs hip hop, jazz and ballet.  The team’s competitions will begin in March.  Mandi also loves hanging out with her friends.  She let me know that over the holiday break, she will be going to CoCo Key in Connecticut.  Mandi is a huge fan of the New York Giants (awesome!), that her favorite color is hot pink and that her favorite TV shows are Jessie, I-Carly and Victorious.  When she gets to camp this year, she is looking forward to cooking, horseback riding, being in the play, the dance team and BBQs on Saturday nights and waffles and ice cream for breakfast.  Most importantly, she is looking forward to making new friends at camp.  Here is a picture…

In Dix Hills, NY, I met up with Ryan Sher, who is in the 3rd grade and will be part of our Junior Boys division in 2012.  Ryan is busy with a number of different activities these days.  He just finished up his flag football season, where his team the Patriots made it to the playoffs.  Now, he is busy with his basketball season.  On top of playing, he is also a big fan of the New York Knicks.  When spring comes, Ryan will be playing left field, third base and second base on his baseball team.  Ryan is also an accomplished piano player.  Just recently, he performed in a recital as well as in front of a judges panel for NYSMA, which is for select players.  He will also be playing at a talent show in March.  Ryan loves video games and his current favorite is Madden ’12 Football, which he also beat me in while I was at his house.  This summer, Ryan is excited for all the water activities, swimming, sports leagues, movies, hiking, art and hanging out with his cousin, Zach Sher.  Here is a pic…

In Edison, NJ, I got to have lunch at the Skylark Diner with two girls from our 2012 Upper Senior Girls division, Jessie Novey and Dani Sussman.  The foodie in me picked the place as I saw it on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network.  The three of us had a good time talking about our favorite place…Canadensis!  Both Jessie and Dani have been very busy in the 8th grade but have definitely been keeping in touch with camp friends and have even been able to see them at a few camp bat mitzvahs.  Both can’t wait for an awesome Summer 2012!  Here is a picture…

We hope to see as many campers and staff this weekend at our Annual Reunion.  Just like last year, the reunion will be at Jeepers in Elizabeth, NJ from 11 am to 1 pm.  Everyone in attendance will receive two camp posters!

Well, that’s all of the blogging for now.  More to come!

Have a great day!

-Brian

Believe it or not, the scene behind us is the frozen lake at Camp Canadensis!  This picture was taken last winter, but on a trip up to camp, I started to crochet.  Crocheting is one of my favorite activities of all time, but it’s especially great to do in the car on long trips.  Hats are pretty simple projects, and it only takes me about two hours to make…so a trip up to camp is the perfect length of time!

This hat is considered to be “marbled” because I held a strand of black yarn, and white yarn at the same time, and it creates this cool effect where the colors are mixed together throughout the hat.  At the end, I added a bow applique that I also crocheted, and it’s so simple!  The bow is just a rectangle that you wrap a string around in the middle, and it pulls it into shape!

Once, I even made a quick hat for our director Eric Forti!  He didn’t think I could make a hat from start to finish on a flight between Moscow & Prague, but I proved him wrong!  Granted, it’s not my best work…and it might have been left behind in a Czech Republic trash can somewhere, but at least I have a photo of him modeling it on the streets!

The cutest hat I’ve made in a while is for baby Simone!  My cousin Heather & her husband Vin, just welcomed Simone in December, and they asked  me to be her legal guardian, which is the most amazing honor ever.  They setup an incredible nursery for her which had an elephant theme.  I decided to make her an elephant hat to match her nursery, and it came out pretty cute (I guess it would look like a mouse without the trunk…)  but without a doubt, Simone is adorable, so no matter what hat she’s wearing, it’s going to look pretty cute!

If I get photos of Simone wearing the hat, I will share them here!  I also made some other animal hats over break…my friend has twins, and when I asked the kids what they wanted, they said “Giraffe” and “Nemo” – so I’ll post those photos in a future Monday blog.

I got to spend the first night of Chanukah in Cherry Hill with new camper Molly, who is a current 4th grader and will be in the Lower Inter Girls division for her first summer.  She has an awesome family, including big sister Maddie, who is currently in 7th grade, going to lots of Bat Mitzvah’s, and will be back at camp for her third summer in the Lower Senior division. Molly made an awesome “welcome” sign that greeted me at the front door, and even though I already know her from the Tour & More Weekend in 2010 & 2011, I know tons more about this awesome new camper now!

First of all, she reads the camp blogs, and she is very excited to meet some of the other new campers.  She saw that a lot of the girls coming to camp are dancers, and Molly is also a very talented dancer.  She was asked to join the Petite Ensemble for her dance group this year, which means she is practicing routines 4-5 nights a week, and she’ll get to perform in Philadelphia & NYC!  Jazz is her favorite (more than ballet or tap) and she has performed for audiences as large as 700 people, so she’ll have no trouble up on the camp stage this summer.  She had to give up some other activities in order to be in this group, but she also loves other sports like swimming and basketball.  She is really excited for other activities too, including glass fusion, art, waterskiing and intercamp games.  She is planning to be on both the dance and swim teams that travel and compete again other camps during the summer.

As you can see from the wrapping of her Chanukah present above, she is also a huge Justin Bieber fan!  And, Molly is a very good little sister…she even plans to wake up early in the morning to wish Maddie a “Happy Birthday” at camp this summer before she gets on the bus for her three day trip to Lake Placid!  Molly also promised to write long letters home to her parents, but she has a lot to live up to because Maddie is known for writing long two-sided letters daily!  Maddie told me some really funny camp stories while I was over…and most of them ended up being about falling off stuff!  She also told me some top secret things about her Bat Mitzvah in March, but my lips are sealed!  It sounds like it will be very fun!

We ended the night by checking out their Chanukah Menorah, that will be filled each night with blue and gold candles (Canadensis colors!!) and the family sent me home with a latke to-go.  Molly also wrapped up the most chocolately chip cookie she could find…doesn’t that sound like a perfect person to be camp friends with?

I got to spend the second night of Chanukah with Anna, a current 3rd grader who lives Penn Valley.  She will be coming to camp for her first summer as a Junior, and I first met her at Tour & More Weekend in 2011.  She is a super sweet & can be silly too!  On the day I came over, she had given a book report on Pippi Longstocking to her class, and she actually put pipe cleaners in her pigtail braids so they would stick straight out!  Anna is also a well rounded girl…and I’m serious, this girl likes everything!!  She plays basketball, goes to Hebrew School, takes classes at the Handworks Studio and she is about to start hip hop dance classes in the new year.

Anna had made me a picture at school that day, and it’s hanging on my office bulletin board now.  She also prepared a very organized list of camp questions, which included…

1.  How is eating in the dining hall different than eating on the back deck during Tour & More?

2.  When do you find out what bunk you are going to be in?

3.  What are Special Days?

After she asked those great questions, she made a list of the elective activities that she would enjoy doing, and she wrote down EVERYTHING!  She’s excited for the ropes course, lake activities, mountain biking, arts, sports, and she thinks she might even try golfing!  She plans to sign up for water-skiing (she snow skis regularly during the winter) and she may audition for the camp show because she likes being on stage, and was recently a villager in Beauty and the Beast.  She really likes the Phillies baseball team, and has a Phillies Phanatic doll in her room.  She already picked out bedding for the summer, and it’s M&M themed!  Pretty much the only thing Anna doesn’t like is fruits and vegetables…but luckily, she does like corn…which is the official vegetable of all Canadensis Campers!

She is a “double” big sister to Lindsay and William.  They all had made such awesome menorahs and crafts around their home, and are a very fun family.  All the kids had watched the camp videos and knew SO much about camp, including color war team names and what shows we performed – you would have thought they were at camp in 2011!! Lindsay is in 2nd grade, and thinks she will come for Tour & More again this summer.  William is only 4 years old, but I think he’ll make a great camper one day!  They had gotten their big Chanukah gift the night before I visited…and air hockey table!  I think they are going to have a lot of fun family tournaments in the future.

In a constant effort to keep this blog fresh and interesting, I’m going to start a new series called “I Made This” Monday.  I try to do arts and crafts projects often during the year, and when I get home from work most nights, I pick up my crochet hooks or glue gun.  Since it’s getting chilly and temperatures are dropping, I thought the perfect first “I Made This” Monday post should be about cozy blankets I’ve made…

I made this t-shirt quilt three years ago.  T-shirt quilts are a great way to display all the old t-shirts you love, but don’t wear.  As you can imagine, after spending 26 summers at camps, I have tons of t-shirts on my shelves, and I just couldn’t bear to part with some of my favorites.  Here are the steps:

1.  Collect t-shirts and lay them out on the floor to arrange an order – I needed 20 shirts for this quilt.

2.  Cut out a square of fabric from the front or back of the t-shirt – my squares were 12×12.  Cara (who makes a lot of awesome t-shirt quilts out of old Canadensis shirts) has a great trick for cutting even squares…she lays down a precut piece of plexiglass on the t-shirt so that it’s easy to cut around it.

3.  Sew the t-shirt squares by column first, so you have four long strips.  Next sew those four columns together, and your blanket is almost done…

4.  Finally, I sewed on a fleece blanket lining to the back, but you can also use another sheet on the back and stuff it with batting like a quilt.

This quilt really represents different stages from my life – and it is the perfect light weight blanket to keep me cozy at camp.  There is a Hewlett High School shirt from where I grew up, shirts from a meaningful trip to Israel, shirts from my college sorority AEPhi in Arizona, shirts from when I was working at the New Orleans JCC, and most importantly…shirts from Camp Canadensis!!  I used the 2003 Color War shirt from the Gold Hippies, I was a counselor captain for the team, so I have very good memories of it!

Without a doubt, my favorite craft of all time is crocheting!! I’ve been crocheting for almost 10 years, and I’ve made lots of different projects that will be posted here weekly, but this blanket was for my best friends son, Aiden.  I’ve known this best friend for so long, that I made up a new term to describe her…”TBF” for The – Best – Friend.  She is such an amazing mother, and I hope that Aiden enjoys snuggling with this blanket, that has cables, a dark blue border, and a “A” in the middle.

Crocheting is similar to knitting, but I think it is much easier and more creative.  I don’t like to follow patterns, I just make up my own through trial and error.  I love teaching crochet to anyone that wants to learn (including Maya above) but you have to be dedicated to learning!  It’s hard to get the hang of it, but once you spend a few hours learning, you’ll have a new activity for life!Above is a photo of me teaching a group of campers how to crochet…

Below is a picture of gifts I’ve wrapped for kids & friends for Chanukah.  I used this AWESOME new tool that we bought for Arts & Crafts this summer.  We’ve had the Accucut for a while, but we recently added a 4 inch alphabet set, and it’s so easy to use!  You can cut fabric, scrapbook paper, and even aluminum cans!  What you see below is scrapbook paper, which I used a glue stick to attach.

Stay tuned to see more of my crafts in the coming weeks, and if you want to see what we are planning for the Canadensis Arts and Crafts program, check out my boards on www.pinterest.com!

I had a fun trip to Westchester last week with one of our directors, Brian! We went to visit Elizabeth (also known as Lizzie to some…) who is a current 3rd grader, and will be a Junior Girl at camp for her first summer.  I got to meet her while she came up and toured camp this summer, and I’ve already gotten to see her two additional times this year…at Canteen on the Fly and now at her home visit!  It turns out that she and I have the same favorite show on HGTV – House Hunters International – and she is in the process of doing a makeover of her room, complete with purple walls!  She has a really big open space in her bedroom, it’s big enough to practice her gymnastics moves, which is one of her favorite sports.  I saw her do two perfect roundoffs, and I know she can do a lot more in the gym!  She’s a very good writer and story teller, so her parents and big brother William should expect some awesome letters home about her camp adventures!  While I was over, we looked through the camp photo album, and I told her about the “Cornman” who comes to Canadensis a few times each summer, and roasts the most delicious fresh corn – Elizabeth and I are planning to visit the cornman together at Open House on June 3rd!  Elizabeth is very sweet, and is a good friend.  She also has tons of talents (she’s even won a hula hooping contest!) and she’s planning to pick up a few more talents before camp…including learning to play Mah Jongg…my favorite game!  There will also be a seat at my Mahj table for her, and I can’t wait for her first summer at camp!

The next stop was with Zoe, a current 2nd grader who will be a Lower Junior Girl at camp this summer.  You will never believe this, but Zoe LOVES broccoli and doesn’t like Justin Bieber!  She is totally a fun and crazy girl, and Brian and I enjoyed getting to spend time with her.  She is a very talented artist – her artwork was spread throughout the house!  She can copy drawings of things she’s seen – like the Minions from Dispicable Me and she also has made many paper dolls with outfits.  She showed me some of the awesome presents she wrapped for the holiday season for her family (I won’t give away the secret hiding place!) and believe it or not, she also had purple walls in her room!   Zoe loves soccer, and she is a great big sister to 3 year old Marley – I know that she’s going to be a great camp friend too.

Back when I was a child, one of my favorite weekly rituals was sitting down on Monday nights at 7:30 pm (after all of my homework was done, of course) to watch what I thought was the absolute best show on TV…The Muppet Show.  Kermit the Frog would start the show by appearing from behind the “O” in the Muppet Show logo, introducing that week’s guest star and then there would be the classic musical opening…”It’s time to play the music.  It’s time to light the lights…”  For a trip down memory lane, click here.  For years, Kermit and Company made me laugh, sing and be completely entertained.  Well, it is great to see that some old goodies can make a comeback.  Last Friday night, Jaime and I went to see the new movie “The Muppets,” which was a true homage to the original Muppet Show.  For the entire film, I felt like I was 7 or 8 years old all over again.  This is great fun for the whole family!  If you haven’t seen this new movie, be sure to check it out over holiday break.  You will not be disappointed.

So, if you have checked out our Facebook page recently, then you know that our big surprise for Summer 2012 will be a brand new pool!  We are so excited to make this great announcement right before the holiday season.  I have been up to camp a few times in the past several weeks and I can tell you that the work is coming along nicely.  The pool will be situated right next to where the old Blue pool was.  The design is also quite interesting as it will be in a “Z” shape.  On one end of the “Z” will be massive water slides.  Finally, the pool will be a saltwater saline pool, which is a new trend in pool systems.  We can’t wait for you to see it!  It is sure to be ready by our Open House on June 3, 2012!  Other projects in the works for next summer will be a new Fitness Center, located in the back of our Rec Hall, new fencing and backstops for our baseball and softball fields and newly surfaced and painted tennis courts.  In the spring, we will bring you photos and Canadensis Today Shows featuring all of these improvements.  For now, here is a pic of the new pool construction…

I interrupt this blog posting for a special announcement.  Play the following video…

For more video fun, here is our annual Video Holiday Card.  Enjoy!

As always, special thanks to Jason “J.Cal” Calabretta for putting all of this great stuff together!  And to our camp family, a Happy Hanukkah,  a Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year!

Speaking of videos, we hope that all of you are enjoying the 2011 Video Yearbook that was sent out a few weeks ago.  If you haven’t watched it yet, what are you waiting for?!?!  Also, we just recently sent out a new edition of the Canadensis Courier (sent via e-mail).  If you don’t have your own e-mail address, make sure you have your parents show it to you.  If you want to get the newsletter sent directly to you in the future, provide your e-mail address to us by sending it to info@canadensis.com .  Also, if you are on holiday break and take a picture on vacation wearing a Canadensis T-Shirt, please send it to us and we will be sure to put it into a future edition of the Canadensis Courier.

As a reminder, we can’t wait to see all of the campers and staff from Summer 2011 at the Annual Reunion on Sunday, January 8 at Jeepers in Elizabeth, NJ.  All that attend will receive two posters.  That’s right, two posters!  One is the “11” photo that we took at the end of camp and the second one is a very special surprise.  Both posters just arrived at our office last week and they turned out great!  A wonderful job by Pam for putting both of these together.

In other camp news, for all of our new campers in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade, our New Camper Bowling Event is set for Sunday, March 25th.  More details to follow as different age groups meet at different times, but mark your calendars now!  The event will be held at the Brunswick Zone in North Brunswick, NJ.  This is a great event for new campers to meet other new campers.

In Norwood, NJ, I got to spend some time with Jordan Plant, who will be returning to Canadensis for her second summer as part of our Junior Girls division.  Now in the 3rd grade, Jordan has had some great opportunities for traveling since camp with visits to Florida and Washington, DC.  She even showed me a great picture of her from a recent visit to Times Square in New York City, where she appeared on a billboard!  So cool.  Jordan has spent much of her time on the musical stage and just recently finished up a production of “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.”  In March, she will be appearing in “Bugsy Malone.”  When she was in Florida, Jordan met up with bunkmate Ivy Talber and has also had some get-togethers with Sydney Schair, who lives close by.  Jordan introduced me to her new puppy dog Maggie, whom she has already taught some new tricks.  Jordan wanted to give a shout out to the Girls of Bunk 2 from Summer 2011 (the winners of MTV Night) as well as her CIT Paige Gindi!  Here is a photo…

In Tenafly, NJ, I had dinner with the Carruba Family.  Dylan Carruba will be back at camp in 2012 for his third summer as part of our Upper Inter division.  Currently in the 5th grade, Dylan played fall baseball after camp on his team the Spartans, where he played pitcher, catcher and outfield.  Now, he is onto basketball season and playing on his team the Hawks.  Dylan is also riding an 80-Honda motorcycle these days as well as wrestling, where he is competing in the 70 lbs. weight class.  In the upcoming weeks, he is looking forward to hanging out with fellow camper Jake Berlin.  Dylan will also be spending the holiday season hanging out with his cousins.  Dylan is really looking forward to some new activities in Summer 2012 and especially Color War.  Dylan seems to be convinced that he even knows the Color War names for this upcoming summer.  However, I don’t think so.  Ha Ha!  Here is a pic…

Pam and I drove together to Westchester County where we got to hang out with some new girls for Summer 2012.  In Millwood, NY, we saw 3rd grader Elizabeth Knox, who will be in our Junior Girls division.  These days, Elizabeth really loves gymnastics.  She even showed us an impressive round off.  One of her favorite events is the floor.  She has also been on a diving team at a local swim club.  Elizabeth is very creative and really enjoys arts and crafts.  Pam and I were also thrilled to learn that Elizabeth has her very own You Tube channel where she makes her own videos!  In the spring, she will be performing in musical productions of “High School Musical” and “Annie.”  This summer, Elizabeth is excited about the lake activities, including the water trampoline, the ropes course, gymnastics and the tumble track and foam pit, the Art Center and especially Glass Fusion and GaGa.  Here is a photo…

In Chappaqua, NY, Pam and I spent some time and had dinner with Zoe Gellert, who is currently in 2nd grade and will be in our Junior Girls division this summer.  Zoe has been involved in a number of different activities.  First, she is currently working on a bar routine in gymnastics for an upcoming performance.  She also plays forward on her soccer team, the Sharks  Finally, she is very active in the local Random Farms Theater program where she has played Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” Mr. Bundles and Drake in “Annie,” Ms. Saurbee in “Secret Garden” and Tweedle Dum in “Alice in Wonderland.”  Her next show will be “Snow White.”  In Summer 2012, she can’t wait for all of the activities up at the Art Center, the rock wall and ropes course and being in one of the camp shows.  Here is a pic…

On a funny final note, I wanted to share something that Jaime for me last week.  As many of you know, I attended Syracuse University.  Being a big sports fan, Syracuse Basketball is a real passion of mine.  As a result, Jaime has also become a big fan of the team.  Well, a few years ago, Jaime said that if Syracuse ever reached #1 in the basketball polls, that she would paint her toe nails orange.  Last week, Syracuse was a the top of the rankings and Jaime lived up to her promise.  In fact, she went one step further!  Check it out…

Well, our winter office is closing up shop for the holidays next week.  But, maybe I’ll be able to send a quick blog sometime next week.  Pretty much staying at home for the break.  Maybe, I’ll make S’Mores one day.  Going to see some movies.  Happy Holidays everyone!

Have a great day…Brian

The Holidays are upon us! Last night my group of friends got together for a delightful Holiday dinner, which was brought to us by the brilliant Kate Mullen! She made Rosemary Chicken with potatoes, green beans, and butternut squash fries! It was delightful! I brought a red velvet cake and my friend Cayla brought amazing dessert bars, one of which was a SMORES bar – and that got me thinking about all the ways to incorporate camp into the holiday season, or what camp related gifts would be on my holiday wishlist! I’m sure most holiday shopping is already done, but I’ve included links to everything on my list just in case you read about something and love it as much as I do!

“Cara’s Top 10 Campy Holiday Favorites”

10. S’mores Desserts: While you may be overwhelmed with all sorts of baked goods this season, you can eat like a camper by choosing a dessert that reminds you of the ever so popular S’more! Last night Cayla’s s’mores bars definitely had Kate and I thinking we were back alongside lenape, but there are so many s’morey options out there! Here’s a great recipe for s’mores bars: http://www.bakedperfection.com/2008/07/smore-cookie-bars.html

9. The Spinmallow: Speaking of s’mores, a great campy gift for the holidays is a rotating mallow stick! I know, at first it may sound totally silly, but when I saw a reusable spinning roasting stick in a catalog this season I knew I had to have one at camp. This one has a built in flashlight (seriously, what will they think of next) but there are tons of options out there: http://www.markysparkytoys.com/html/toycategories/toy/spinmallow.html

8. Camp Stationery: Call me old fashioned, but I’m absolutely in love with sending and receiving hand written letters or cards. In a world full of Facebook and email the novelty of the letter has become a rarity, but I think that makes it even more special. I have a HUGE box in my closet dedicated to a stationary collection I’ve been building for quite some time – when Borders went out of business this summer, I spent a day off with my counselor friends searching through all the paperchase goodies! When I find a card that’s perfect for a friend I’ll buy it on the spot, even if their birthday is months away! So when I find stationary that I want to use at camp I get equally excited. Cute cards to send to home friends (or friends at other camps) are always on my wish list! This vintage inspired set is definitely going to be with me this season: http://phdesignshop-store.com/2147.html

7. The Crazy Creek Chair: Old school campers will tell you that the Crazy Creek is a staple in camp life. Now they carry long back options for tall campers, the power lounger for those of us who enjoy luxurious seating, and my new favorite, the roll-up option! It’s available in lime green, and we all know how I love neons…  http://www.crazycreek.com/products-page/adventure-line-chairs/hex-2-0-original-chair/#

6. Camp Themed Potlucks: I love going out to dinner with camp friends (if you read this blog, you know I do it a lot) but sometimes we want to spend more time together than the restaurant would like for us to be loitering, and sometimes you just have to get out of your seat and dance around with your camp friends. A camp themed potluck is always the answer to the “we’re-all-home-over-winter-break-and-bored” problem, and it’s a great excuse to get crazy in the kitchen. Everyone makes a camp treat, like Cheese Toasties or Black and White Cookies, and gets together at someone’s home to snack and play. Dani and I are thinking of planning a camp potluck in early January, so we’ll post photos of all our camp creations here! Here’s a great recipe for B&W Cookies, camp style: http://www.cookiemadness.net/2010/10/black-white-cookie-4/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cookiemadness%2FGYsL+%28Cookie+Madness%29

5. Camp Movies: I love to spend time over winter break snuggling with puppies and watching movies with my family. A campy movie always makes me feel like summer is just around the corner. I love Camp Nowhere and The Parent Trap (Both the original and remake) for the whole family, and older viewers may enjoy Indian Summer, Meatballs, and Wet Hot American Summer. I recommend the ORIGINAL version of the parent trap for some classic campy fun: http://video.barnesandnoble.com/DVD/The-Parent-Trap-2-Movie-Collection/Hayley-Mills/e/786936286960?itm=2&usri=the+parent+trap

4. A Camp Shirt Quilt: There’s no better blanket for your camp bed than one made of camp tees! I started making camp tee quilts when i made Becky J’s sweet 16 gift out of some camp tees. After that Eric Forti got a huge queen sized camp tee blanket for his camp bed, and camp alum Adam Scharfberg got one too! I’m currently finishing a camp Tee Quilt for Emily Zendel, and I’ve got two waiting to be delivered to Sam G and Brigitte Toledano! I don’t have a website link for my quilts, but I’ll post a photo and link my email address where I’m available to make quilts or answer any “how-to” questions: cara@canadensis.com

3. The Friendship Bracelet Maker: This is easily one of my favorite camp accessories. I make a LOT of friendship bracelets over the summer so when my my mom got asked to present this product on QVC she asked me to take it for a test drive and teach her how to make a bracelet. I fell in love with it pretty quickly and I’m definitely bringing it to camp this summer! Here’s where to find one: http://www.myfbm.com/

2. Peanut Butter Candy Canes from Callie’s: The famous Callie’s Candy Kitchen makes the world’s most amazing candy cane, and I’m not exaggerating! Our winter office is obsessed with the Peanut Butter Candy Canes (I actually have one on my desk at this very moment) but they’re only sold around holiday time! “But Cara, that’s all the way up in Canadensis!” I know, but lucky for you, Callie’s delivers all winter long! http://www.calliescandy.com/online-store.html

1. Embroidery Floss: Yes, something as simple as a pack of string tops my list of the best campy gifts/campy activities for winter break. Nothing tells the world you’re a camper better than a forearm full of braided bracelets, just ask Becky J! In my perfect world I would have every shade and hue of every color, and their glittery counterparts, at my disposal at all times! Here’s a great website for friendship bracelet patterns, although if you’re a really advanced bracelet maker, I might be able to teach you my signature stitch at camp this summer! http://www.how-to-make-jewelry.com/friendship-bracelet-patterns.html

I had a wonderful time visiting some of our Canadensis families in Maryland!  It turned into a somewhat progressive meal (where you eat different courses in different places) and everyone was such a gracious host!  The day started with a Counselor-In-Training (CIT) of 2012…Dani Schapiro!  She greeted me at the door wearing a Camp Canadensis Super Seniors shirt, and I got to catch up with her and her family over some appetizers.  Dani is currently in 10th grade…but she showed me an absolutely adorable photo from her first summer at camp when she was in Bunk 2!  She also showed me a vintage Canadensis sports pinnie from her younger days at camp, which is totally back in camp style!  She stays super busy during the winter, and we met right after she got home from a pom practice.  We talked about her excitement for the 5-day Disney trip our CITs take during the summer, and she had some really good suggestions about programs at camp for the upcoming year, including bringing back the Fun Run.  They were the first family who I got to tell about our exciting NEW POOL announcement…and they kept it a secret until we made the big reveal on the Canadensis Today Show a few days later.

Dani also invited over Brenna, one of her best friends from home, and someone I know from another camp I worked at.  It was awesome to catch up with her, and hopefully we’ll get to see her again this summer because our camps started doing joint programming.  I know this next picture I’m going to post might get me in a bit of trouble…but check out this old photo from 2008…she’s wearing such a creative costume!

It was a wonderful first stop on my trip, and I wish Dani a wonderful winter break trip to NY.  I hope that I’ll get to see her soon at the Camp Reunion (Sunday, January 8th) – we say that the CIT’s of the upcoming summer “officially” take the mantel of responsibility for being CIT’s at the reunion.

My next stop in Maryland was with “Jes”, also known as Jessica – a current 3rd grader who will be coming to camp for her first summer in the Junior Division.  She stays remarkably active, and it seems like she does multiple activities each night!  I joined her after basketball practice, and we had a delicious salad & pizza dinner with her family, including little brother Liam (pineapple pizza…yum!).  Although I got to meet Jessica this summer while she toured camp, I learned a whole lot more about her during my visit.  She is a serious ballerina, and is currently performing with the Washington Ballet in the Nutcracker.  What makes this even more amazing is that it takes a lot of dedication and practice, and it’s her third year doing it!  She also goes to Hebrew School, takes Piano Lessons, and the list goes on and on.  She is super excited for the activities at camp, specifically Horseback Riding, Woodshop, Rock Climbing, Glass Fusion,  Soccer and the Lake – doesn’t that sound like a well rounded camper to you?

Jessica took me on a tour of her house, and she had an awesome disco ball hanging above her bed!  Have you ever seen something so cool?  She said that when she gets to decorate her bed at camp, she plans to hang up a poster of Taylor Swift & Eli Manning from the NY Giants.  Everyone in the family is a big Giants fan (which will make our director Brian very excited!)  Her brother even had a NY Giants blanket on his bunk bed…and they definitely have fun with those bunk beds when they have sibling sleepovers.  Jessica is a super sweet girl, who is an excellent and caring friend.  She is also very funny, and will be a great Canadensis camper!

My last stop of the night was with siblings Marshall – a current 3rd grade boy and Haley – a current 4th grade girl.  Both kids will be coming to camp for their third summer!  I got to meet their little “potuchkie” (that’s what Haley calls my dog, Annie) named Truffles.  We enjoyed some hot chocolate, and I got to hear about the many adventures they’ve been up to this year.  They are both dedicated students that tackle their homework right after they get home from school, and at their school they don’t only learn English, but they are also learning Hebrew!  On top of that, both kids are in the Cub Club, which is a cheer and spirit group at school, and I can’t wait for them to teach us some new cheers during color war.  Marshall has also been working on his moves…check out this break dancing photo below…

…and Marshall also recently started an acting career.  He auditioned and landed a role in a commercial for Haribo Candies, and when it comes out we’ll definitely have it posted for the Canadensis world to see.  Haley recently joined the Girl Scouts, and she already has the uniform!  I have no doubt she’ll be filling it with tons of patches soon…she was working on her cookies “sales pitch” while I was over!

It was wonderful to see everyone in Maryland, and share either appetizers, dinner, or dessert with them!  I hope to be back again soon!

P.S…providing food is NOT a requirement for home visits!! 🙂

Well, not just yet, but my big trip is about a month away! I will be heading over to Boulder, Colorado (home of the Canadensis Groundhog!) for a few days of my own CAMP, called CampMinder Camp. All of you guys get to spend your summers at camp, so why shouldn’t I get my fun time. It’s only for 2 days, but 2 is better than nothing! CampMinder is the web-based system we use for campers, staff, alumni, photos, videos, etc. It’s an amazing database and so much more and by attending this “camp” session, I will have a chance to collaborate with the owner, support people, programmers, and a hundred other camp directors who all use the same system. We will brainstorm ways to make the system more efficient and learn some of the new features that will be unveiled in the coming months. Of course while I am in Boulder, I will have a chance to catch up with Groundhog and see the town a bit, although I will be heading out pretty quickly to AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND!

I will be interviewing staff from New Zealand and Australia for about a week before returning home to PA. Looking for the best staff for Canadensis is a big job and we find it’s important to try to meet all of our staff face-to-face. Things like Skype make it easier to do remote interviews, but in person are always the best. As is with Boulder, I will have a chance to see many of our former staff members from last summer and from years ago…many years ago!

Which brings me to the reason for my blog post today. I woke up at 6AM to an email from Groundhog with just a picture attached (no message). Usually that means spam, but I opened it and found the picture below.

So, I guess this is proof that yes I was a camper/counselor back in the day at Canadensis. The kid standing behind me is none other than Joel Wiseman, who came from Australia for one summer, along with his mom who was a nurse and his older brother who worked at our lakefront for many years! A few other observations:

• Camp still uses the same brown dining hall trays. Of course since then we have replaced them, but it’s funny that they are the same style!
• That birthday cake looks amazing!
• This picture was taken on our “old back deck” of the dining hall and you can see a tree in the background. That tree was taken down just last winter after getting damaged in a storm. Pretty cool that we built the deck around that tree so many years ago and then rebuilt a new deck around it again! Too bad it’s gone.
• I am wearing a NJ Devils shirt. Anyone who knows me, knows that I really don’t follow sports, so why aren’t I wearing my favorite shirts of all- Canadensis?!
• And the funniest, most ironic thing…is that my birthday is in SEPTEMBER, not the summertime! So, I can’t remember why there is a cake in front of me. Perhaps I just like cake and Silas remembered that back then and made one special for me? Or, maybe it was one of camper’s birthday, haha.

Anyway, just thought I would share this photo with all of you.

I also want to take a moment and wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year! I will try to pop back on here/Facebook before the holidays, but if not, please enjoy Chanukah/Christmas and New Year Celebrations and of course the best part of this time of year, is that we enter the new year, which means we are even closer to Summer 2012!