NanceXToo Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I've got a whole bunch of pics on my blog now of our Fresh Air Fund visit from this past week (the kids went home this morning). If you click on the link in my signature line it will take you to my most recent entries and you can scroll through and see the pics from the last few entries. We really did a lot and had a good time, and the kids were great...but it was also exhausting having two extra young kids here for 8 nights and trying to fit in so many activities with them! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm glad you had fun! Our girl was here from July 1-15. She wasn't supposed to get here until the 3rd originally. I had planned my family's busy schedule around that, and the bed she was supposed to be sleeping in was filled by its regular occupant on the 1st. Not to mention that I finished my thesis on June 30th, with a 24 hour straight push to get it finished, and I had planned on those extra couple of days to prepare for our new arrival. Okay, so I can be flexible. It made a little more work to figure out that first night, but it worked. Day 2: We go to the river. She refuses to get wet. We get set up to play a lawn game. Girl has a hissy fit over not winning a practice session and kicks the game over. I ask her to pick up the game and fix it - just as I would my own child. She sits on the ground and refuses. After trying to reason with her about it, I end up carrying her around to set it up, like I did with my own kids when they were 3yos. She does the last bit herself, and luckily doesn't "test" my follow-through again. She weighs almost 100 lb! Girl had an asthma inhaler. No biggie; I have kids who've used one in the past. Inhaler was handed off to me (directly into my hand) by FA coordinator at pickup. Inhaler was the only med listed on her medical form. Silly me, wanting to give her privacy and not rummage through her stuff - I didn't go through her suitcase. My 5yo dd came to me on the 3rd day to tell me girl drank some medicine. When questioned about what medicine - she lies. Dd brings me the empty container from the trash can. It's a nebulizer treatment. That she drank. I had to call the FA coordinator, girl's mother, poison control, and have multiple extra telephone calls to go over the details of the incident with the FA office in NY. It became apparent pretty quickly that girl is a pathological liar. She lied about anything and everything - even stupid stuff that didn't matter. She is also an only child - and an attention seeker. It was an exhausting visit, and not very rewarding. We were hoping to give new experiences to someone who hasn't been in a rural setting - but she apparently has family all over the place and nothing we did was new to her. Although, being the liar that she was, who knows what to believe. I might give it a try again next year with someone else. Or not. We'll have to see how I feel then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 boy, you really DID do a lot with them!!! I can tell they had a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing with us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 I'm glad you had fun! Our girl was here from July 1-15. She wasn't supposed to get here until the 3rd originally. I had planned my family's busy schedule around that, and the bed she was supposed to be sleeping in was filled by its regular occupant on the 1st. Not to mention that I finished my thesis on June 30th, with a 24 hour straight push to get it finished, and I had planned on those extra couple of days to prepare for our new arrival. Okay, so I can be flexible. It made a little more work to figure out that first night, but it worked. Day 2: We go to the river. She refuses to get wet. We get set up to play a lawn game. Girl has a hissy fit over not winning a practice session and kicks the game over. I ask her to pick up the game and fix it - just as I would my own child. She sits on the ground and refuses. After trying to reason with her about it, I end up carrying her around to set it up, like I did with my own kids when they were 3yos. She does the last bit herself, and luckily doesn't "test" my follow-through again. She weighs almost 100 lb! Girl had an asthma inhaler. No biggie; I have kids who've used one in the past. Inhaler was handed off to me (directly into my hand) by FA coordinator at pickup. Inhaler was the only med listed on her medical form. Silly me, wanting to give her privacy and not rummage through her stuff - I didn't go through her suitcase. My 5yo dd came to me on the 3rd day to tell me girl drank some medicine. When questioned about what medicine - she lies. Dd brings me the empty container from the trash can. It's a nebulizer treatment. That she drank. I had to call the FA coordinator, girl's mother, poison control, and have multiple extra telephone calls to go over the details of the incident with the FA office in NY. It became apparent pretty quickly that girl is a pathological liar. She lied about anything and everything - even stupid stuff that didn't matter. She is also an only child - and an attention seeker. It was an exhausting visit, and not very rewarding. We were hoping to give new experiences to someone who hasn't been in a rural setting - but she apparently has family all over the place and nothing we did was new to her. Although, being the liar that she was, who knows what to believe. I might give it a try again next year with someone else. Or not. We'll have to see how I feel then. Oh my gosh, that's crazy!! Sorry you had such a bad experience!! We didn't have any behavioral problems or hissy fits or any such thing with any of the four kids we've hosted so far (a ten year old girl, two nine year old girls and a six year old boy), although the first girl we took did also have some sort of medication we weren't notified about. That was because her mother didn't write it on the form and told her to just take it on her own, because her mother was scared she wouldn't get into the program if they told the FAF the child was on medication (it was for high blood pressure or some such). My daughter told me that the girl had medicine and I made her bring it down to me and talked to her about it. But other than that, the kids were all polite and well-behaved and so on, with the biggest issue being homesickness (most especially with that first girl, the other three were fine for the most part). A friend of mine (another homeschool family who lives near me) hosted for the first time this year and say they plan on inviting their FAF child back next year as it went well (that was a 7 y/o boy). Renthead Mommy from these boards hosted for the first time this summer too and she said "He is really nice and polite and quiet." Which is all to say I hope you consider giving it another try at some point! I swear, they aren't all like that! Denise, Thanks for looking and your comment :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Wow, it looks like you had a lot of fun! I love that your daughter's name is Alexa.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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