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.
Go see the new movie "The Muppets." For parents that remember "The Muppet Show," this will bring you back to your childhood. For kids, you are sure to find out why your parents also loved them when they were kids.
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…
A NEW POOL! The old pool has been buried and right next to where it used to be is a new Blue Pool, which will also feature new water slides!
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…
Me with Junior Girl Jordan Plant and her dog Maggie.
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…
Me with Upper Inter Boy Dylan Carruba.
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…
Me and pam with Junior Girl Elizabeth Knox.
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…
Me and Pam with Junior Girl Zoe Gellert.
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…
Jaime's toe nails are not only orange, but they now have Otto, the Syracuse mascot, painted on them! Now, that's what I call a fan!
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
