We’re in the thick of summer camp season at the moment.

I’m very curious as to what Dorothy circa January 2018 was thinking back when she signed up her 6-year-old for Summer Camp 2018.

I’m guessing it was something along the lines of, “Dorothy, be sure to do as many different camps, in as many different parts of town, with as many different pick-up / drop-off timings as possible so that every Monday, he will be a nervous wreck about being in yet another summer camp. Do NOT sign him up for the camp that is held in the same building as your daughter’s day care as that would be TOO EASY. Also, do not sign him up for anything he really wants to do (like LEGO camp) as he needs to try different things to grow as an individual. He DEFINITELY will not complain about not being signed up for LEGO camp Every. Single. Week. Also, be confident in the fact you that although you’ve spent all of this time and money in summer camp, you will realize come July there will be two full weeks in August / September where there is no summer camp options but also school will not have started yet. You will forget this, like you do every year.”

Of course, I’m exaggerating (>>insert a Urkel “Who Me??” gif here<<). It’s been great, just a little hectic.

But one thing I will never figure out about summer camp is Dress Up Day.

Do parents everywhere have a giant bin of dress up clothes they can handily reach into the morning of Camp Dress Up Day and pull out a perfect costume except for me? Or are they like us, and when they learn it’s Pirate and Mermaid Dress Up Day, tie the kitchen dish towel hanging from the oven around their son’s head and call it a day?

Nat: “Pirate Day? Are we supposed to have buckle shoes just hanging around the house?”

Me: “Can we quickly give him scurvy?”

Anyway, here is Sam in his quickly-thrown-together costume with his camp pal Sophie (that’s a turtle on his hand instead of a hook. I think it works?).

BK (Before Kids), I always wondered why parents posted photos of their kids dressed up for summer camp on social media. And now I know! Because it feels so victorious! Even if the kids constantly look more like “Dress Your Kids Up Like They Are Going To Coachella” instead of anything else.