Thursday, September 28, 2017

Summer Camp Shenanigans


I meant to post this awhile ago but of course like everything else, it gets posted in its own time. Summer camp you guys...wow. From losing an entire days worth of clothing to coming home happily worn out at the end of every day, it was quite the adventure.

Emma’s last day at her preschool that we all adored was the last day in June. I will be honest, I cried, a lot. I could barely get out a goodbye to her teachers. Emma of course was fine. She is way more courageous and is far more emotionally stable in certain situations than I am. She did have a hard time going into camp the first day. I expected as much and stayed with her for a while. Unlike her preschool, where I had attended many events and had a general knowledge of how things were run, camp was a complete mystery to me. Other than reading the newsletter, I had no knowledge of what happened during the day. The first day I picked her up, I was smacked in the face with the reality that we weren’t in our safe preschool bubble any more. Her towel was on the ground along with her lunch box that looked like it had been scavenged by wild raccoons. She got a hard lesson in being responsible for her belongings (which she never completely caught onto). The worst was when I picked her up one day only to find  her wearing the backup outfit I left in her backpack. Yes, that’s right, she lost an entire days worth of clothing including her shoes! The kids went to the pool every day so Emma had to change out of her bathing suit and apparently somewhere in between lost all of her clothing and her shoes. I searched high and low, all over camp. We both came to the conclusion that some other kid must have taken her things home with them, although I can’t imagine someone wanting her ratty old tennis shoes (and yes I reluctantly bought another pair accompanied with many lectures on not losing them).

The other thing I had not considered about camp was the fact that there would be much older kids there, all the way up to middle school. So we had a lot of talks about good and bad behaviors and not to do something just because everyone else was doing it. In a way I’m glad we got those discussions out of the way before she starts school. All in all, she picked up more confidence and grit from the experience which is a good thing.

The wonderful thing was that every day I went to pick her up, she always had the biggest smile on her face. Every day she would exclaim that she had “the best time”! This made me feel really good. It showed me she was ready for something new and thrived in the camp environment. They had a variety of physical activities throughout the day along with cooking and arts and crafts. I know she hasn’t figured it out yet but she has athletic talent. I am not pushing anything on her now or ever but I was glad she enjoyed all of the activities. I really would like for her to participate in some academic camps next year but we’ll see how the school year goes. All in all, I’m glad she was able to have that childhood experience and enjoy it. I wish I had taken a picture of her there to share but I am fairly certain we will get another chance next year.

The End and the Beginning

Sorry this is being posted late. Life man, but here it is...



It’s late on a Saturday night, way past Emma’s bedtime. She just finished a lightsaber battle with her dad. Late nights have been frequent this week. With camp done for the summer, this week is Emma’s last before school starts. I know I am supposed to get her on a better sleep schedule for school but I find myself unable to. I think back to when we were looking for a house in an neighborhood with a good school to send Emma to. The idea of her actually attending that school seemed so distant at the time, a school she would eventually go to but you know, not for a long time.


The time and space between those thoughts and the present day has all but disappeared. I find myself sitting here with 48 hours until she heads out the door for elementary school. I feel myself being pulled in the direction of reflection. I went from having a helpless little baby, new to the world, to a very physically and mentally independent child. So much change, so many adventures and lessons learned and laughs and cries and silly worries. How did I ever spend so much time and energy worrying about what sippy cup to get her or what baby food to feed her? How, when she can sling back a cup of water without a second thought, cram a taco in her mouth without blinking, and zoom down the driveway on her scooter like she is about to take off. It’s like the universe of my precious person has exploded over the past few months. She’s beginning to read, she’s asking me specific questions about the world, the never ending stream of whys coming at me a hundred miles an hour, it is hard to keep up.


I am trying my best to keep the delicate balance of knowledge and childhood innocence, I never realized how it would be infinitely harder to do this than figure out how to potty train a toddler (one of the hardest challenges I’ve faced with her to date.) There is still so much I haven’t had an opportunity to teach her and yet, I find myself torn between that and wanting to just stare at her while she plays. Like there is never enough time for both.

Well friends, my time is up. The first chapter of childhood is two days away from fading into the prologue. And that is why I have tried to give her a magical summer. We kept a loose schedule, we have taken our time. I have let her run out in the yard until the fireflies came out. I have done everything I possibly can to slow down time, to hold on. Now I know it is time to let go. The adventures aren’t ending, just a new one is beginning.