coolgirlspyer90

What a crazy week. I have lots of stuff to tell you guys!

I left for camp with my boyfriend on saturday evening. We didn't get there until about 4. We had a staff meeting at 7 and after that, a few of the staff, including me and my boyfriend went to grab a quick pizza run and all of us stayed up pretty late to get some stuff ready for the kids. We got our staff shirts,etc.

The next day the staff and I went to bob evans for breakfast, we had to provide our own food, the camp wouldn't serve us until noon. So after breakfast, we went to walmart to pick up a few things. My boyfriend and I bought a cooler, our boss forgot to tell us what to bring that the camp wouldn't provide. We picked up a few things for the kids like s'more stuff, tie-dye, shirts, etc. The kids came at 2PM on sunday. Things were off to a great start. Before we did anything else, the kids had to take a swimming test to make sure they can swim. They had a color-coded band for them to wear to let the lifeguard know who can swim in what area. There was red, green and blue. On the first day we caught some kids talking about inappropriate things like private parts. We disciplined them about what they were talking about, and then let them swim until 6pm. We got back to our cabins and the kids had their snack and got their beds set up and their shower, etc.

The next morning i was awake around 6AM, got a quick shower and got the kids up at 6:30AM for a "Polar" swim. Meaning the kids can swim at the pool from 7:00-7:30, about a half hour. Before I woke up the kids i had a few minutes to myself, and one girl woke up with a really bad bug bite all over her arm, back and legs. It was SHOCKING. I told her to put some cold water on it, hoping it would help with some of the itching because the cold water helped me sometimes! Later, another girl had the same thing. So i went to my staff coordinator whose in charge (basically, my boss) and told her about the 2 girls. Later 2 more girls got the same thing. The camp said they would check out the cabin the next day where we aren't doing much stuff in our area and so the kids wouldn't freak out about it. We did a ton of stuff that day, we did a Ice breaker-- helping the kids get to know each other, and did some crafts, and a little bit of socializing.

The next day i got to sleep in. The polar swim happens on monday, wednesday and friday. The kids got up at 7:00AM and got themselves ready for breakfast. We were getting ready to do some Special olympics for the kids it was fun! Later in the evening we did a water olympics. Our camp guide came and the co-coordinator pulled me and another counselor aside saying that we need to talk, i was nervous and i was hoping i wouldn't get into trouble. She said that the camp checked our cabins and said that we have Bed Bugs. another woman and I were so paranoid about it, we were worried and scared about the bed bugs because they are nasty! Plus 4 girls got bitten by the bugs pretty badly! So I had to leave the kids and go back to my cabin and had to grab all of my "kids" stuff into a separate black garbage bag because we were going to move into a different cabin. One of the counselor who was in my cabin (suppose to help me watch the kids) freaked out about it. The camp said that they would wash all of our clothes, sleeping bags, pillows, suitcase, EVERYTHING for us. They said they would wash everything in about 300 degrees to kill the bugs. the woman who was a counselor in my cabin decided that she's not going to let the camp touch her stuff because all she was worried about was her clothes shrinking because of the hot water. So she immediately grabbed her stuff and zoomed on home, leaving me by myself to watch my kids. So we had to explain to the kids what was going on, but we didn't want to scare them, and we put all of their clothes into the bag, and tossed it outside (including the suitcases) They had clothes for them to wear the next day including their swimming suit. The clothes didn't get picked up or touched until the next day.


The next day all of us went rafting, My group of girls that was with me in the rafting was so tired and hot, and these were like 14 year old girls. We kept spinning in circles in our boat and can never really go straight, We were also the last group to get to the others. By the time we got back from rafting, the kids had to change their clothes to go to lunch. I didn't have a cabin to change clothes into so I went into my boyfriend's cabin. After i changed my clothes, i left some of my stuff with my boyfriend because i had some stuff that was not washable, I brought a power strip for my dry-aid box, and my cellphone charger. All of the staff had to bring their cell phone with them in case of an emergency or figuring out what to do. Later that afternoon the kids played Fear Factor, The event coordinator picked up a few foods from walmart, and mixed a few things. One was they had to eat Sardines with mustard, a brownie with pickles and peanut butter and orange, and the grossest factor of all, they had to eat an insect covered chocolate. And surprisingly, they overcame and ate it!

The next day we went to a rock wall climbing, The camp called it Tango, It was fun! One girl unfortunately got poison ivy There was a few drama going on and my cabin got moved again to a cabin that was closer with the other deaf kids.

The day before the last day of camp, All of the girls from my cabin HAD to get a shower. It took about almost an hour to get them in the shower. One girl from my cabin wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. I heard a car coming down the road and i RAN over to her and pulled her bag to stop her from walking. I told her she needed to be careful and watch where she was walking. She complained saying she was, but she was looking down at her feet and not paying attention to where she was going. Now i know how my parents felt like when I can't hear the car coming! Later after all the kids took a shower and ate breakfast, I was watching the younger kids, my boyfriend went with the older kids and took them to a activity that the camp planned called the Amazing Race. They had to do a lot of physical activity. A few kids got scrapped pretty badly! But they survived! The amazing race lasted all day, and later in the afternoon we went swimming, I didn't want to swim, so i took a shower. One of my girls from my cabin forgot her swimming suit, and she went to 3 staff asking if she can get her swimming suit, and she didn't tell me that they said no and i went with her to grab it, and by the time i got back they told me they said no and i was flabbergasted. So the girl got punished and couldn't swim for the night, boy was she mad! We got our clothes back by the time we got back to the cabins, We managed to find all of our clothes and they were still warm! the camp told us they washed everything 3 times. I told my parents about the bed bugs before we moved everything, and my dad wanted me to leave my pillow and my sleeping bag at the camp because of the bed bugs. So i did.

Yesterday was the day the kids had to go home. I felt bad for the one girl because she got bitten by the bed bugs, got poison ivy, and she was emotional (because mother nature came) and a counselor and I forgot to wake her up for breakfast and so she was left sleeping at the cabin. I felt so bad, I was so tired and overwhelmed with what had happened and I know it was no excuse. Later the kids parents came about 1 in the afternoon. 2 of the parents got mad about the bed bugs and was complaining about why we haven't called them. One parent was a mom and yelled at her kid for losing half of her stuff. I lost half of my stuff from the wash that the camp did, but you don't see me complaining about it. The mom was mad and asked why we didn't call and said that she's going to take her daughter to the doctor to take a look at it. We tried explaining calmly about what had happened, but she wasn't hearing it. I never had to deal with that before, and honestly, i felt a little scared! I have a few bug bites on my arm and legs, and i'm trying so hard not to itch them! My boyfriend and I didn't leave the camp until about 3 in the afternoon. I called my parents to let them know we were on our way back home and they told me not to go inside the house until they got home. So my boy dropped me off at home and i sat outside waiting for my parents. My parents got home, and they took my suitcase outside and my clothes in a plastic bag. They made me strip off my clothes that i was wearing in the garage because of the bed bugs. I took a long hot shower and my mom gave me a hair-bug treatment. Took another shower, and got dressed and then took an hour nap.

I went to bed about 10 last night, I was so tired, I didn't get up until about 10:40 this morning. My boyfriend hasn't texted me so i figured he's still sleeping, And i'm not going to bother him. So i'm here in my bed chilling out. I'm going to go to dinner with one of my friends tonight (maybe). My ears are off and i'm so sore. Plus i'm itchy from the bed bugs. I'm a little tired but it's been a long week. I feel like going back to sleep hahaha. Oh well, I'm glad to be home!

Deafness

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Bottesini

Wow! That was quite an eventful week. I hope your parent's actions did avoid you having any bed bugs at home.

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coolgirlspyer90

yup! i got the bug treatment yesterday, they used the lice-treatment package for my hair to kill the bed bugs that i maybe would have. Plus they went to the laundromat to wash all of my clothes again.

Smithtr

OMG it is serious i have my client lots of $500 pay for specially bed bug I don't want to give me serious not funny I am seriousness my client risk ,


not health expensive cost to for throw to bed bad terrible 2 or 3 year ago, that is mess on my room I tell you it is terrible bedbug is very dangerous

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Frisky Feline

wow Its a bizzare that the director of Deaf camp did not call parents about the bed bugs. it isn't a good sign.

coolgirlspyer90

Well the camp that we went to told our director that the bed bugs wasn't that big of a deal and that when the parents came to pick up the kids, they would have a explanation letter to the parents of what had happened with the bugs and what they do to get rid of them, meaning they washed everything for us, moved us to a different cabin, exterminated the bed bugs by using super heat (whatever they used to kill the bugs), etc. We tried to make the kids have fun as much as possible while we were there. I felt bad for my girls! I hope this doesn't happen again next year!

Frisky Feline

It is still not a good sign. If it were me as a parent, and i would like to know what is going on over there at the camp as long as they explain that they move kids to other the cabin with better mattresses and the instruction about needing things to be washed, and included the information about the bed bugs.

Reba

It sounds like you had a very exciting and maturing experience, and that you learned how to handle a crisis. Good job!

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Frisky Feline

On the other side, glad you had a rich experience and learn something about what happened. I know you did a great job at entertaining kids so busy. i want you to know, though.

Anij

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

I have to admit I'd be very upset that the camp director didn't call the parent immediately - the main reason is that the bed bugs will be on the kids and will infect the cars/vehicles picking up the kids!

It can cost thousands of dollars and months to get rid of bed bugs - and even sitting in the car is enough to end up infecting the entire house - as well as any one else's home who rides in the car.

Didn't the Camp director have to report the infestation to the health dept ? I thought that was a legal requirement, as is reporting to the parents immediately.

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Ignorance is NOT Bliss

coolgirlspyer90

well the thing is we thought the camp examined all of the cabins before we arrived, and we also double checked everything before the kids arrived. And we thought everything was fine up until last monday or tuesday when the kids started to complain about having bug bites. We thought it was just because we were outside all day, but they were complaining about the bugs in their room. So when we were gone all day, the camp decided to check out the cabin theirselves and found out we do have bed bugs. So Me and 2 other staffs went to the cabin and took all of the kid's bed sheets off of the bed, and their sleeping bag as well as their pillows into a black garbage bag for the camp to wash and by the time the kids got back, we explained to them what happen in a calm manner so they wouldn't freak out and we told them to take the clothes that they wanted to wear for tomorrow including shoes and a bathing suit and other stuff that are not washable, and we were moved into a different cabin where the cabin was okay and well the camp we went to is called Camp Kern, and its owned by the YMCA. SO, after that we were moved again to the other cabins that the other kids were sleeping again and it was a lot closer. The week was chaotic and we were all trying to figure things out and such. there was about 2 parents that were mad and other parents admitted that they had it before and that it wasn't that big of a deal and they knew what to do, etc. The camp was very apologetic for what had happened and they said they were going to make sure none of that stuff will happen again.

dereksbicycles

Glad you had fun. If I was the parents, I would be lodging a complaint.

Just thought, what if the family had 2 cars. Say a nice 2010 Toyota Camry and a 1989 Toyota Tercel....they decide to pick up kids in their 2010 Camry. They did not know of bed lice incident. If they knew, then maybe they would have taken their old rusty Tercel instead of nice Camry.

See, why parents are upset. I am on the parents side.

At least kids got to do Polar Bear swim. That must have been fun for them.

Mimsy

I love the early morning polar bear swim idea!

coolgirlspyer90

haha I used to love to do that as a camper when i went to deaf camp as a little kid! they get to swim for about 30 minutes in the morning on Monday, wednesday and fridays. The polar bear swim would start at 7:00 and end at 7:30, giving them only a half hour to hurry and change their clothes for breakfast. I wish it would be a little bit longer! maybe an hour or so! My boyfriend would keep telling me that he'll meet me at the pool with the kids everyday and then change his mind because he wants to sleep and then changes his mind and eventually show up at the pool after i got there.

deafbirk

Big deal. Bed bugs build character. Sure should not ruin a camping experience by calling in hyper sensetive parents. Its like posion ivy, learn to live with it

Kalista

wow bed bugs are horrible cure. My clients live in the apartment, the bugs spread all over the old house. We have to remove their items furtirures, beds, clothes, etc... Get them brand new the furtiures after the town of hall came over and spray whole the house to kill the bed bugs.

Poor kids !

Mimsy

haha that's one way to think of it!

Reba

The problem is, the kids can bring the bugs home with them and infest their entire house. That's a very difficult and expensive situation to resolve.