More photos to come later and possibly a little re cap, but for now, I thought Melanee and my dad would enjoy the pictures that came home on the little camera I sent with them!!!
7/9/16
Bradley going to Utah
I just got back from taking Bradley to the airport in Sacramento for his trip to Utah. He's going to a camp type program called EFY (Especially For Youth). It's supposed to be really fun. Melanee worked at it a few summers ago. She worked at the EFY on the East Coast, Bradley is attending the one hosted at BYU (Brigham Young University). I think he will get to do lots of stuff like stay in the dorms, attend seminars, play games, go to dances, eat....make new friends.
Getting him ready for the trip was an adventure. We didnt start until yesterday and he had to work yesterday, so we probably should have started sooner! He needed things like new underwear, shorts, socks. So we went to the mall. I dont like to shop around, just pick out what we are going to get and leave (if it's on sale, haha). We only had 30 minutes, so that's the type of mall shopping we did. He also got some new Vans shoes. Vans is the brand he likes. Vans look cool, but dont last very long. Especially when used while skateboarding. I usually dont like to pay for Vans. But because of the rush and because they really are what he likes, I didn't mind (this time). All the stuff we bought will be nice to have for EFY and hopefully will still be good when school starts (probably wishful thinking). He has a new fashion or brand that he likes now....Dickies. They are really heavy duty pants and shorts. The price is about the same as Volcom or other "stylish" shorts, but they should do well for skating and lasting long because the fabric is so thick and stiff.
So, we got the needed clothing items. Then I decided to get snacks for the trip. While at Wal Mart they had a whole section of trial size stuff for travel and because we didn't want to check a bag on the airplane, I decided to get a bunch of trial size stuff. Add the Wal Mart trip cost to the mall cost and this EFY thing was starting to add up $$$$$.
That's ok. Melanee thought the program was wonderful when she worked for it. Here's also a quote about it from my nephew who went twice. "The first year was the best week of my life. The second year was EVEN BETTER." I hope Bradley has just as much fun!
When we go to church each Sunday, Bradley wears dress pants, white shirt, and even a tie...but he usually wears a shoe lace for a belt, his shirt is always untucked, and he wears Vans instead of dress shoes. Well, on the EFY web site, in the e mail they sent, and in all the check lists and warnings there are mentions of "dress shoes", and "athletic and beach shoes are not acceptable dress shoes". I thought about this for a long time. Here are a couple of my thoughts- if they send him back to his room if he shows up in his Vans, he wont have anything else to wear and will miss out. This will make him mad and rebel. The whole experience will be ruined. Then I thought, they wouldnt do that! Then I thought, why does it matter? What if people are so broke from paying for EFY, they cant afford dress shoes? And, Vans are his dress shoes. And I just bought new Vans. And, Vans are NOT athletic or beach. But as we drove to the airport, I felt a pretty big prompting that he needed church shoes. I figure, he's probably done growing, so these can be used in the future after EFY. Right there, on the side of the road in Yuba City, that I've NEVER even noticed before was a Payless Shoe Source. We stopped, the worker gave us a $10 coupon, we picked out a pair that will also work for McDonalds (non slip)....and we were out of there and back on the road in minutes. He stuck them in his back pack, because his carry on was already stuffed.
So, about that carry on.....he texted me as I was driving home..."They made me check my green bag." First thought was, "That's going to cost us $50 bucks." Second thought, "OH NO, all the shampoo, tooth paste, and stuff is going to get massacred." The green bag is a simple soccer bag. It's not luggage. It is not stiff or hard sided or anything. No pockets except for on the ends, and that's where I stuck all the shaving cremes and beauty supplies!!! I have seen tv specials on how they treat luggage when no one can see!!! I cant wait to hear if his bag survived. It is also very possible that it got all ripped up....very, very thin fabric.
EFY has strict dressing and grooming standards. Obvious things like modest clothes and no crazy piercings and stuff. But Bradley is pretty modest/clean cut....except....right now, he wants to grow his hair out (so that during soccer season he can wear a head band?????)....anyway, EFY has the same rule as McDonalds....hair must be above the ear....but at McDonalds (did I blog that Bradley now works at McDonalds?) Bradley has a hat and he can just tuck the hair back in it....at EFY it specifically said, "No hats inside." So the tucking is not going to work. I had a hair cut coupon I forgot to use last time I got my hair cut and Bradley loves to get his hair cut somewhere other than by me (I always cut his and everyone around here's hair)....so I offered to take him to a professional for a "trim". He willingly went. I am so glad. He looks GREAT. It really did need a trim and she also did his neck and made the sideburns better. And I had a coupon, so that went well.
Hair cut, new clothes, new shoes (two pair)....he was ready to go.
I told him to send me photos and keep in touch like when he got his boarding pass, got through security, at the gate, on the plane, etc.....he did really well at keeping me informed....until, remember that text about checking the bag.....HIS TICKET TO GET ON THE PLANE IN LA (second flight) was IN THE BAG.
He didnt even know where his terminal or gate was because he didnt even know his flight number.
He is only 16, but he looks way older, so I'm sure the crew wasn't all babying him like the usual unaccompanied minor....but, he asked for help and got it and texted me later that they were making him a new boarding pass.
Right now he's on his flight from LA to Salt Lake and William is going to pick him up at the airport.
Cant wait to hear how smashed his toiletries are!!!!
Getting him ready for the trip was an adventure. We didnt start until yesterday and he had to work yesterday, so we probably should have started sooner! He needed things like new underwear, shorts, socks. So we went to the mall. I dont like to shop around, just pick out what we are going to get and leave (if it's on sale, haha). We only had 30 minutes, so that's the type of mall shopping we did. He also got some new Vans shoes. Vans is the brand he likes. Vans look cool, but dont last very long. Especially when used while skateboarding. I usually dont like to pay for Vans. But because of the rush and because they really are what he likes, I didn't mind (this time). All the stuff we bought will be nice to have for EFY and hopefully will still be good when school starts (probably wishful thinking). He has a new fashion or brand that he likes now....Dickies. They are really heavy duty pants and shorts. The price is about the same as Volcom or other "stylish" shorts, but they should do well for skating and lasting long because the fabric is so thick and stiff.
So, we got the needed clothing items. Then I decided to get snacks for the trip. While at Wal Mart they had a whole section of trial size stuff for travel and because we didn't want to check a bag on the airplane, I decided to get a bunch of trial size stuff. Add the Wal Mart trip cost to the mall cost and this EFY thing was starting to add up $$$$$.
That's ok. Melanee thought the program was wonderful when she worked for it. Here's also a quote about it from my nephew who went twice. "The first year was the best week of my life. The second year was EVEN BETTER." I hope Bradley has just as much fun!
When we go to church each Sunday, Bradley wears dress pants, white shirt, and even a tie...but he usually wears a shoe lace for a belt, his shirt is always untucked, and he wears Vans instead of dress shoes. Well, on the EFY web site, in the e mail they sent, and in all the check lists and warnings there are mentions of "dress shoes", and "athletic and beach shoes are not acceptable dress shoes". I thought about this for a long time. Here are a couple of my thoughts- if they send him back to his room if he shows up in his Vans, he wont have anything else to wear and will miss out. This will make him mad and rebel. The whole experience will be ruined. Then I thought, they wouldnt do that! Then I thought, why does it matter? What if people are so broke from paying for EFY, they cant afford dress shoes? And, Vans are his dress shoes. And I just bought new Vans. And, Vans are NOT athletic or beach. But as we drove to the airport, I felt a pretty big prompting that he needed church shoes. I figure, he's probably done growing, so these can be used in the future after EFY. Right there, on the side of the road in Yuba City, that I've NEVER even noticed before was a Payless Shoe Source. We stopped, the worker gave us a $10 coupon, we picked out a pair that will also work for McDonalds (non slip)....and we were out of there and back on the road in minutes. He stuck them in his back pack, because his carry on was already stuffed.
So, about that carry on.....he texted me as I was driving home..."They made me check my green bag." First thought was, "That's going to cost us $50 bucks." Second thought, "OH NO, all the shampoo, tooth paste, and stuff is going to get massacred." The green bag is a simple soccer bag. It's not luggage. It is not stiff or hard sided or anything. No pockets except for on the ends, and that's where I stuck all the shaving cremes and beauty supplies!!! I have seen tv specials on how they treat luggage when no one can see!!! I cant wait to hear if his bag survived. It is also very possible that it got all ripped up....very, very thin fabric.
EFY has strict dressing and grooming standards. Obvious things like modest clothes and no crazy piercings and stuff. But Bradley is pretty modest/clean cut....except....right now, he wants to grow his hair out (so that during soccer season he can wear a head band?????)....anyway, EFY has the same rule as McDonalds....hair must be above the ear....but at McDonalds (did I blog that Bradley now works at McDonalds?) Bradley has a hat and he can just tuck the hair back in it....at EFY it specifically said, "No hats inside." So the tucking is not going to work. I had a hair cut coupon I forgot to use last time I got my hair cut and Bradley loves to get his hair cut somewhere other than by me (I always cut his and everyone around here's hair)....so I offered to take him to a professional for a "trim". He willingly went. I am so glad. He looks GREAT. It really did need a trim and she also did his neck and made the sideburns better. And I had a coupon, so that went well.
Hair cut, new clothes, new shoes (two pair)....he was ready to go.
I told him to send me photos and keep in touch like when he got his boarding pass, got through security, at the gate, on the plane, etc.....he did really well at keeping me informed....until, remember that text about checking the bag.....HIS TICKET TO GET ON THE PLANE IN LA (second flight) was IN THE BAG.
He didnt even know where his terminal or gate was because he didnt even know his flight number.
He is only 16, but he looks way older, so I'm sure the crew wasn't all babying him like the usual unaccompanied minor....but, he asked for help and got it and texted me later that they were making him a new boarding pass.
Right now he's on his flight from LA to Salt Lake and William is going to pick him up at the airport.
Cant wait to hear how smashed his toiletries are!!!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)