As soon as the snow had melted from our front walkway we knew we were going to send Aleck back to the Chicago Park District Camp. He was over the moon excited to be back in school this spring and despite his constant pleading for us to let him just stay at home all day and do next to nothing, we knew he wouldn’t be happy just sitting around the house. But even though our restaurants are open and many of us have returned to our typical schedules, there is still COVID-19 to deal with, especially when you are running a summer camp where most of your campers are under the age of 12, unvaccinated.
Now applying for CPD camp is almost worse than trying to get into a good Chicago Public Schools Kindergarten program. And this year, with only a fraction of the regular number of campers allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions we knew our chances of securing a spot were going to be harder than ever. With both of us logged in and fingers at the ready to click “move to cart”, Craig and I raced to get Aleck into River Park, the one only blocks away from our home. Staring at the loading bar on the screen we held our breath until the screen announced that we were 15th on the waitlist for camp. Since they only take 15 kids in total that gave us no chance to get Aleck back to the camp he loved two summers ago. So the next morning we set ourselves up again, this time for camps east of California Ave, and lucked out with number 5 on the waitlist for another CPD camp close to our home. About a week after we got the call, Aleck’s number had come up and we had the green light to sign him up for camp. Phew. We took a breath, high-fived, poured a drink. Well…almost.
Now for the next hurdle, getting Aleck an aide for camp. We had done it before, the inclusion coordinator is already familiar with our family, and despite some difficulties, we had a successful time all in all with this program two summers ago. But it’s not two summers ago. And even though there were no issues with Aleck and his aide for Chicago Public Schools when he went back in person in April, Chicago Park District plays by a different set of standards which made us worry that Aleck wouldn’t really be able to play this summer at all. When we first met with the coordinator she explained that the aides are on strict instructions to stay 6 feet away from the campers they are working with. Aleck was with me when that news was dropped and he almost quit camp on the spot. But this was early June and we knew the state of Illinois was about to reopen, so maybe things would change in the three weeks until camp began. Together we problem solved one of the most frequent challenges, sitting down and standing up again. The solution for this is to have Aleck’s aide carry around a foldable chair so that he doesn’t have to touch Aleck to lift him off the ground or gently ease him onto the grass throughout the summer. Another issue is going to the bathroom. Let’s just say that my phone could ring at any moment letting me know that Aleck just pooped and I need to run over there and wipe his tush. Good thing he’s a morning and nighttime potty dude, because I think the embarrassment of that ordeal would simply crush him.
Another issue we have is swimming. I was bummed out to hear that his park would not be offering swimming because the indoor pools are still closed from the pandemic. But then, when I thought about what that would mean for our schedule this summer, I felt like this might be a sweet relief. If he was at River Park I’d have to run over there three times a week to get him into his swimsuit and life jacket and help him into the pool. Then, run back when it was time to take him out of the pool. Great, maybe it was a blessing to miss out on that experience for the summer. Then my phone rang and it was the inclusion coordinator again, they will have swimming. Aleck’s camp will head to another facility, but only twice this entire summer, to use their outdoor pool. Tomorrow is the first day this is happening. That means that I will have to pick Aleck up from camp at 10:15 am tomorrow, after dropping him at 9:00 am, bring him to the other pool, get him dressed, and into the pool. Then I return to that pool at 12:00 pm to get him out of the pool and into his clothes and drive him back to his usual camp. Good thing this is only happening twice this summer.
When I came to pick Aleck up from camp the other day I asked his aide how things were going. His aide, a very sweet Chicago Public Schools special education teacher, seriously we hit the jackpot with him, just shrugged his shoulders. I gently pushed him to expand on that. He explained that he’s having trouble getting Aleck to join in a lot of the activities. That even though they can have a runner for him for kickball so he can kick and someone else can run the bases, he’s just not interested in giving all of that a try. Aleck and I talked about it over the weekend and Aleck said he’s still having a great time. He doesn’t feel bad about not participating, he likes being able to do what he wants, and he’s happy every morning to go to camp. On Monday morning I touched base with his aide, and asked him one important question, did Aleck seem happy. He emphatically replied that Aleck is always in a good mood and seems to be having fun. Great! I told him not to worry, that Aleck was here for socializing anyway, and as long as he’s happy then the aide is doing a great job.
A conversation that Aleck hears me have with friends is that for the Chicago Park District camp, Aleck needs to adapt to the activities that they are doing. He needs to figure out where his place is during a soccer game, even if he really just wants to chat up the head of the camp. He’s used to adapting, it happens all year at school too. He’s often the judge of a splash contest with his friends, the referee for soccer, or is the one to count off when his friends are running races. And sometimes he just doesn’t want to do it and we turn down birthday party invitations to circus parties, gymnastic parties, and soccer parties. Thankfully Pump It Up parties are long behind us.
Next week, that is all going to change. Aleck is heading to New York to join a camp that is adapted to him. He will be spending about 11 days at sleepaway camp for Camp Simcha Special and he is over the moon excited. There they get kids who are wheelchair-bound up on the ropes courses or swinging down the ziplines. They have an Olympic-sized pool with a lift to get the kids into the water. He will get to experience activities that are designed with his limitations in mind and he’s counting down the days until his flight takes off. When he gets home, there will still be almost a full week of CPD camp left. This morning we looked at the schedule and Aleck decided that he wants to join back for the end of camp, even if it’s the last two days, after a day or two of just resting at home. Despite the camp’s limitations and restrictions, he’s having a great time, working his way to get to know everyone on campus. But boy, I can’t wait for him to experience this new camp adventure where anything and everything will be physically possible for a boy like him.