Camp Cheapo is my attempt to inexpensively bond with my kids and their friends, while looking like an awesome and attentive parent for at least one week of every year. This is that week. Check out more Camp Cheapo activities under the “categories” button on my sidebar.

The day started with my kids verbally bitch slapping each other in the backseat of the car, as we rode to the dollar store for last minute supplies. You see, we at Camp Cheapo believe that preparation and planning stifles creativity and almost always leads to disappointment. In fact, our camp flag is a picture of a pigeon carrying away a pair of shorts, with our motto “Flying by the Seat of our Pants” written underneath. Oh, and the pigeon is crapping on someone’s car, because our other motto is “Shit Happens”.

After, leaving the Dollar store,

“Hey mom, how much is this?”
“A dollar.”
“What about this?”
” A dollar.”
“There’s no price tag on this one.”
“I’m guessing it’s A DOLLAR! EVERYTHING…IS…A…DOLLAR!”

we returned home with our goods.

The neighbor kids showed up as soon as Camp Cheapo’s garage doors opened…at noon*.

*Camps that start in the morning are stupid. Your kids aren’t even on your nerves yet. Honestly, they take a while to warm up, like cold-blooded lizards in the desert.

Our first activity was the dunk bucket!

That’s right, homemade and rigged by my own little noggin! You want the blue prints? Well, they’re right here, my friend (tapping my forehead), and it’s all boggled to hell. I think I’d be the worst scientist ever.

“Why yes, I did find a cure for Polio. But I made my cryptic lab notes on the back of an old grocery receipt, then, having no scrap paper left, used that receipt to throw away my chewing gum. Chewing gum flavor doesn’t last nearly as long as it should.” – Me, as a scientist.

Next up, the shaving cream fight!

Learning from last year, I made sure to reiterate the importance of not spraying the shaving cream in our eyes. I heard crying about an all-over skin burning sensation, but not a whimper about the eyes. I consider that a success.

After hosing off, we moved on to the “First Team to Get All Their Cheese Curls to Stick to Their Partner’s Head Wins” game. I know, it needs a shorter name.

My team won! Though it was partially by default. Ana’s team was disqualified for eating their Cheese Curls with a side of Sensitive Skin shaving cream dipping sauce. By the way, this activity was inspired by a pin on my Camp Cheapo Pinterest board. I say “inspired” because I never actually read the direction.

Next, we made an unexpected discovery! Did you know that if you put your hose setting on “jet” and lock it in, you can hold it like this…

and do the limbo!

Then you lose control and it whips around like a demon until it knocks a kid out. I told Collin that “seeing double” just means there’s more in the world to love!

Finally, we ended the day by packing in the car and heading over to the neighborhood pool. I sat in my chair and relied on good old-fashioned Parasite Parenting to do my work.

I was nice and relaxed until I looked on the ground and saw these shorts. They belonged to some teenage girl sitting next to me…

and then Ana came over and threw her pool toys down…

And now they reside in a garbage dump on the other side of town, as should the shorts.

READ Camp Cheapo, Day 2