Summertime

The kiddos had enrolled in a bunch of different camps this summer.  While the parents are missing the ease of one drop-off and pick-up every day, the kids are having fun trying new things and hanging out with grandparents when camp isn't in session.

The first week of summer, Will did a three-day football camp and Reina had a three-day basketball camp.  Will's camp was from 8-11 and Reina's was 9-12 which made for some complicated shuttling but thanks to Pop-Pop, it was a little easier than I thought it would be.  The next week, both were at a program called SEEK at our community college.  Will's had a Fantastic Beasts class in the morning and Star Wars in the afternoon.  Reina was in a different age group but she had Star Wars in the morning and made hats in the afternoon.  Our sideboard is currently covered in everything from a chef's hat to a top hat, a fleece winter hat and a kicky beret and more!  Those camps were a big success.

After that, Will participated in an outdoor camp and Reina was at a sports camp all week.  At Reina's camp, she got to try a variety of events including tennis, volleyball, fitness, softball, equestrian and rodeo.  Yep, rodeo!  She loved learning about how to take care of a horse (her's was a pretty bay named Cespa).  They got to brush the horse, clean her feet, look at her teeth and they even painted the horses one day.  I'm not sure how much the horses enjoyed that activity.  When I picked Reina up the first afternoon, she proudly told me that her teacher in the rodeo class told her she was a natural...at bull riding.

The next week, Will was at the same sports camp that Reina had been in but he participated in basketball, soccer, baseball, swimming, rock climbing and fitness.  He had a few friends in his class and liked that.  His favorite activity was lunch in the cafeteria - all you can eat pizza, sandwiches and ice cream cones.  What's not to love about that?  While Will was at sports camp, Reina had mornings at baking camp and afternoons with me or the grandparents.  She learned how to bake new items every day and brought the samples home.  The second day, she had made banana bread and was very proud of it.  She insisted that we save it for breakfast the next morning which we did.  I woke up and went jogging.  When I came back, I asked her if we could slice the bread which I did, into enough pieces for everyone.  I took a slice, Will grabbed one, I told Reina to come get hers and then I hopped into the shower.  When I came downstairs a few minutes later, all of the bread was gone.  I asked the kiddos if they'd eaten all of it and before my sentence was completely out, Reina started hollering.  It turns out that Will enjoyed the first slice so much, he went ahead and finished off the mini-loaf before Reina came upstairs.  His only defense was, "Reina, that was really delicious."  A compliment from the brother slightly soothed her indignation but the cupcakes she brought home later that day were watched like a hawk.

After baking camp, Reina started in Youth Summer Stock, a three-week drama camp which culminates next weekend in a grand production of Lion King Jr.  She is loving it.  Love, love, loving it.  She's playing a lioness, a wildebeest and the mouse that Scar chases in the opening scene.  She sings in almost every song and dances and I can't wait to see it! If anyone is interested in knowing any of the songs, just call me.  They are all floating around my brain right now.

Will had a few days off and then another week of the Seek classes.  This time around, he learned about electricity in one session and another version of Star Wars in the afternoon.  He also had a few one-day baseball camps to work on his skills.  While Reina finishes drama camp, he has football camp right around the corner and then holy cow, it'll almost be August.

Glenn and I are working, watching lots of 10-yr old baseball games (more on that next time), fishing (Glenn), gardening, jogging and trying to squeeze as much as we can out of these nice warm days. Summer can slow down anytime now.