But it’s just not the same out here in California. It’s not that LA Parents love our kids more, although we might want to think that, it’s just that we don’t have the generational experience of sleepaway camp here like they do back East. I have friends in New York and DC who went away to camp as kids and who then of course send their kids away as well.

We send our kids to day camps in California, but sleepaway? It’s pretty rare.

For one thing, most sleepaway camps are located back East, and for us that would mean having to fly the kids there, not drive them, an added expense and deterrent. But I think the biggest problem is that it just doesn’t occur to us. Out of sight, out of mind.

But luckily, there’s a sleepaway camp right in our backyard where we can send our LA kids: Catalina Island Camps. Just looking at the setting makes me want to go myself; it’s right on the beach in a secluded cove on Catalina Island, which is just a short boat ride away. Check out this virtual tour:

It looks like an amazing experience. There are activities like sailing, swimming, sea kayaking, snorkeling, a ropes course and ziplining, as well as just interacting with nature, playing sports and games, and being a part of a group of kids, all learning a skill or having fun together.

This video of the camp has kids talking about the camp, giving one word for their experience, and the one I heard most often was FUN. I think it looks like fun. Do they have Summer Camp for adults?

When I think about my kids being away from me for a week, two weeks, or even a month, I will admit my throat starts to tighten up and breathing becomes difficult. I know I would miss them terribly and I worry about them being sad or homesick, not to mention that they might get hurt.

But those stories aren’t out there. Kids go away to camp and have the time of their lives. They make friends, they get tan, they learn to try new things, and they have fun. I’m sure there’s an initial adjustment time, meeting new kids and getting used to the place, but after that: I bet kids rarely wish they were home. I bet they hardly think about home until the boat comes to the dock and they see their parents – and their cell phones – once again.

{Full Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Catalina Island Camps. Photo & video credit: Catalina Island Camps.}

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Spinning – Tales From Radiator Springs on Disney Video

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Hiccups – Tales From Radiator Springs on Disney Video

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Submitted by the Tween.

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Bugged – Tales From Radiator Springs on Disney Video

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Submitted by my Teen.

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“From above the world of “Cars” comes “Disney’s Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar. “Disney’s Planes” takes off in theaters on Aug. 9, 2013.”

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I know I’m not alone in this, and you can see evidence of it in the latest video from Circle of Moms by POPSUGAR. This video series, in partnership with Kia, stars Tia Mowry, Diane Mizota, Stacy Kaiser and Lizzie Bermudez. These ladies get to chat about all kinds of parenting issues – and they look like they’re having a great time doing it, too.

The ladies talk parenting in a few different segments, the ups & downs, the struggles and joys, and in one part they even get to drive around in the all New 2014 Kia Sorento. They set up a bunch of cameras in the car and let the women drive around and chat. Looked like fun!

I will say I am officially jealous about that part since I got to test drive a 2014 Kia Sorento for the Kia Classic a couple of weeks ago, and I know just how nice it is.

In this latest video from Circle of Moms by POPSUGAR, the ladies did a segment about how to make mealtime more fun for kids. They made ants on a log, both with celery and bananas, put grapes on a skewer, used cookie cutters to make shapes out of kids’ sandwiches, and made mini-pizzas with veggies for decoration. We tried a bunch of these things when my kids were little, with varying degrees of success. Sandwich shapes worked well for a while, but veggies on the mini-pizzas was never a hit. And my boys used skewers as swords, so I will warn you to keep an eye on that…

I appreciate that the ladies in the series all have kids of different ages, so I’m feeling like it’ll bring some fresh perspective to the coming episodes.

{Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Kia through their partnership with Circle of Moms. While I was compensated to review the Kia Motors video and write a review, all opinions are my own.}

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