Category Archives: parenting

The First Installment of – Things That Happen in the Middle of Nowhere with Jenny From the Bunk

So, I left camp today to trek out into the Berkshires to pick up a prescription. The Berkshires are absolutely stunning, but everyone drives really slow.

I mean slower than the speed limit, slow… like they aren’t actually driving to a destination. Even Siri was giving me lazy directions, alerting me milliseconds before my turn, one time she was like, “Ooops, you were supposed to turn about a mile back but I was too enamored with the scenery to mention it, my bad.”

“Whatever Siri!”… Continue reading →

21 Things We Did as Kids in the 70s and 80s That Would Horrify Us Now

21 Things Kids Did in the 70s and 80s That Would Horrify Us Now #humor, funny, gen x, listicle, top 10As a Gen Xer, I so enjoy reminiscing about the freedoms we had growing up in the 70s and 80s. Our parents take on safety and acceptable ways to spend one’s time was different from the get go.  Starting with baby-proofing, which in no way resembled what it is today.

In fact, I recall being given green Mr. Yuk stickers (which were basically like yellow happy face stickers that had just thrown up) to put on anything that was toxic: chemicals, cleaning supplies, etc. I remember showing my mom the stickers we’d been given at preschool and her telling me to “go for it” (yes, I was to baby-proof my own house).

So, I actively searched my house for toxins. I checked cabinets that I’d never even thought to open before, climbed on the sinks to get to all the medicines. It was like anti-baby proofing. I slapped the stickers on all my new found poisons and added one to the vegetable crisper, for good measure. Now, as a parent myself, my own parents like to tell me I’m too overprotective.

“Really?”

“Well, you survived,” they say.

“Yep, but it seems like the odds were against me.”

Here are a few things many of us did growing up that make me wonder how our generation survived …

1. Thinking the middle seat in the front was the best seat because you could get crushed into the dashboard … I mean, because you got to control the five radio stations.

2. Being totally inaccessible — from after school or camp until dinner. Now, we would call that being lost.

3. Having an equal intake of air: 50% oxygen, 50% secondhand smoke. Continue reading →

One of the Funniest Camp Letters – Kids Write the Darndest Things

When I sent J, my son, to camp a couple years ago (you know, when I didn’t actually follow him there, though I wanted to), his letters were seriously depressing. I had hoped for these heartwarming letters about how he tried something for the first time and loved it or how cool his counselors were, or at the very least, he could have filled in those lazy letters, where you literally have to do nothing more than put a word in the blank. Camp is ________! Today, I went to _________ and it was _________. No such luck, his letters weren’t so much heartwarming as they were heart wrenching, though I’m not sure if they were that way on purpose or not… Let’s analyze, shall we?camp letter10I read that and wanted to cry. Holy crap, we need to go save that kid, we could bring him home and buy him a vending machine. How much could it cost? I bet it costs less than my sanity! Continue reading →

Dear Readers Day 5 to 13 – I Don’t Want to Grow Up – Too Late

Dear Readers (Days 5-13),OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

As many of you that follow me on Facebook know, during my trip to camp my stepmother lost a hard fought battle with esophageal/stomach cancer. (If you happen to see me on visiting day, don’t mention it in front of my daughter – she doesn’t know.)

That said, I left camp after 4 days to be there with her in Hospice and there for my dad. I won’t go into much detail, but my stepmother was a young vibrant and amazing light on this Earth. She was the most positive and supportive person I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing.

It was such an insane transition. I went from camp, a place where I felt like a kid in many ways, though the reality of my maturity was never more obvious, to Continue reading →

Dear Readers – Day 3 and 4 at Summer Camp – I’m Shockingly Low Maintenance

Dear Readers,

I'm Shockingly Low Maintenance (humor, mom, summer fun, camp lenox, jenny from the bunk, unhappy camper)

We have such similar summer camp style (me and the tweens) I bet you can’t guess which one is me? I’ll give you a hint… I’m the one with the wrinkles

 

Camp Lenox is pretty amazing. They cheer at meals out of the blue…

Not to be outdone by any summer camp… this totally happens at my house when I cook salmon and broccoli. Fine, it doesn’t.

 

Anyhoo, I thought I’d be freaking out about missing things, like Continue reading →

Dear Readers – Day 2 at Summer Camp – I’m the Newest Camper and the Biggest Loser

Dear Readers –

Day 2 at Camp Lenox with Jenny From the Bunk…

me on first day

Please notice how I’m waving, but no one is looking in my direction… I know, I’m cool.

camp moms

Here are some of my Mom sorority sisters. You can see why I’m so intimidated, look at them being all judgy!

I’m pretty sure I’m a loser… I spent the morning picking up kids on the Westchester bus and watched as their parents waved until their hands nearly fell off. I tried to put them on a waving schedule, giving each bleary eyed parent a five-minute window to represent the other parents, as the departure was slowed by extra luggage and late arrivals, but they insisted on doing their own waving to show their level of commitment… A gesture lost on their kids, who were too busy reminiscing and meeting new people to look out the windows. As a longtime “waver” myself, I will suggest that next year they have a chiropractor on site or a ‘hand for hire’ to wave with one hand and hold a sign reading, “I’m waving to you Kayla because your mom loves you, but you’re taking too long to go and last year she acquired carpal tunnel.”

When we arrived at summer camp, Continue reading →

Dear Readers – I Will Turn This Plane Around – Summer Camp Day 1

Dear Readers,

(Day 1 at Camp Lenox) It’s the first day of summer camp and I’m already wondering, if I meant to go to camp this summer or somewhere more relaxing, like the peace corps.  “Ease her in slowly,” they said. “Maybe, just have her spend a couple hours the first day,” they suggested. “What, she’s coming from Florida? We do need one more chaperone on that flight … let’s give her that job and if she doesn’t survive, we’ll know she never would’ve made it through a summer at camp anyway, and if she does survive, we’ll make her a t-shirt.”

This is me printing 46 boarding passes at a self-serve kiosk… Can you imagine the poor woman stuck behind me as she watched me print nearly 4 dozen? I’m pretty sure she missed her flight.

That’s how I imagine the conversation went when the administration decided this would be a good introduction to my summer gig… because nothing tests your sanity Continue reading →

How Old is Too Old to Play With Barbies – I’m Over Forty And Asking For a Friend

How Old is Too Old to Play With Barbie?As I’ve said in the past, I loved playing with Barbies growing up – LOVED. I’ve been open about this with Ry since her first Barbie doll at the age of, in utero. Some mamas sat with those belly headphones on, I slept with a Barbie standing in my belly button, which made rolling over really uncomfortable.

That said, about a month ago, Ry got this Barbie she really wanted as a reward for getting a vaccination. DO NOT judge me for that — You try telling a 9yo you’ll give her a measles or influenza or small pox free life in return for her to stop hyperventilating and see how that goes…)

My poor parenting tactics aside, Continue reading →

Jenny From the Bunk is at Sleepaway Camp – and so it begins…

Guys… it’s happening! I’m at Camp Lenox. Please share with all your friends who’ve been to camp or have kids going or who need more entertainment than Big Brother.

You can follow on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube (PLEASE DO)

XO ~ Jenny From the Blog Bunk

Sleepaway Camps, Jenny From the Blog, #JennyFromtheBunk, Real Moms of Camp Lenox, Sleepaway Camps in the Berkshires

Sending Kids to Sleepaway Camp Could Make a Mom Insane

camp annoying momThis post was written the last time I sent my son to camp and may be the reason I’m going with my kids this year. Ahem,I mean, I’m going with them to tell you guys what it’s like from a mom’s POV and as a nostalgic and humorous experiment, not at all because I spent that summer sucking my thumb in a corner…

So, I’ve been totally anxiety stricken lately.  I wasn’t able to put my finger on why, until I looked at my finger and saw that I’d done this to my beautifully manicured gel nails.50206624beea11e1b00112313800c5e4_5

Then it dawned on me, it’s camp.  Sending my son to camp makes me mildly certifiable, which lucky for my family, manifests in all parts of my life.  Like when I got upset with my hubby the other night while watching The Change Up, because I asked, “If you were in someone else’s body, would you go on a date with Olivia Wilde?” and he was all “Yes.”

“What I’m not enough?” I said.  But why? Continue reading →

What REALLY Goes On at Sleepaway Camp These Days – A Mom Tells All

Jenny From the Bunk is Going Back to Camp and Telling AllI have a confession, well I should call it an announcement, but it feels more like something I must divulge in a hat, glasses and a wig … I’m following my kids 1000 miles away, to sleep away camp.

Oh, you read that correctly, Jenny from the Blog, a 40 something Gen X mom, is going back to camp with her kids in a series called: JennyFromTheBunk – I Followed My Kids to  Sleepaway Camp – Now What? (hashtag #JennyFromTheBunk) I toyed around with One Crazy Summer – A Neurotic Mom Goes Freakin’ Crazy And Goes to Camp Too, but the coinciding hashtag would be too long. I’m pretty sure I made the right choice. Plus, the first name has “Now What” in it, and that’s really the big question…

Well, there are lots of questions and I intend to answer them all during a summer of spying, avoiding bugs and pretending I can relive my youth. Here are just a few:

  • Why would anyone ever do this on purpose?
  • Are there bugs at camp these days?

Continue reading →

Do You Need Microdermabrasion? Anti-Aging Tip of the Week for Gen Xers

dysonWell in answer to the question, Do you need microdermabrasion?  Yes, yes you do.  I don’t know exactly who you are but your skin is probably dull and the elasticity is probably slack.

Okay, I may be projecting, but along with suffering from dull slack skin, I selfishly envy fresh-faced youth. It always makes me feel good to drive by a high school, hang my head out the window and scream at the cheerleaders.  Things like. “Your pores may be small, but your such a slut and everyone knows it.” or Continue reading →