Camping vs. Going to Camp

My daughter is in a Girl Scout Troop.

This weekend we went Camping.  At a camp.  In a cabin, with twin sized beds & real mattresses.  Was it rough?  A bit.  Was it roughing it?  Heckfireandshoot no.

I had a decent time too, it's hard to tell, reading this post, but I did.  I wasn't planning on going, despite being a "camping helper" with our troop, because it seemed silly.  They weren't pitching tents, heck, they weren't even cooking for themselves.  The camp has an air conditioned mess hall with a menu.  But at the 11th hour, I found out the entire troop was being accompanied by... ALL the other mothers.  Yes.  10 girls.  9 moms.  Really?  Really?  Oh.  Really.  Well then.  I guess I better go too, lest my kid be the one who was over looked all weekend or felt that her mother didn't love her.

I live in a bit of a posh school district.  I love my neighborhood.  I hate my neighborhood.  It's complicated.  Needless to say, for a long time now, my Husband and I have been making up names for the people in our neighborhood....  and then I read Slummy Mummy (TOTALLY, if you're a mom, you should read it, it's by Fiona someone, hilarious) and learned that I am NOT the only one making up names for the other mothers in my life.  So, without further ado, meet my camping buddies...

Alpha Mom, Snobby Blond, Huffy Blond, Yummy Mummy (the main troop leader) and Proper Mom joined us, as well as Adventure Camping Mom, Ann, ... and finally a mom who I cannot name... because she is THE MOST ANNOYING MOM EVER.

Here's an example of ONE of the many ways she drove me nuts for the 24 hours we spent together.  An ACTUAL QUOTE:

In a loud commanding voice, tinted with a Long Island accent, she gives her edict so that all the girls in the troop will hear, "Everything needs to be even and fair.  So everyone gets half.  OK?  It HAS to be fair.... " and then in a marginally hushed voice that can also be heard by everyone, "here Offspring, you can have a little extra."

I'm sure you can imagine that Offspring, if she doesn't get a little extra, throws down a temper-tantrum that can be mistake for a spring thunderstorm, given that she's ALWAYS been given "extra".  It's fabulous.  It's also not Offspring's fault.  Which is why I won't call her names or call her out.  If I had been raised to believe I was better and more perfect and more deserving than everyone else in the world, I would behave like that too.

But truly, we did have fun, and when I'm through being annoyed with Annoying Mom, I'll tell you ALL about the camping trip with pictures.  We rode horses, climbed a rock wall, went canoeing, toasted marshmallows, ate s'mores...  really, it was fun, and I ensured that C had a blast, and isn't THAT what's important?