Today’s the day - summer camp starts. And even though Princess and Dude are going to summer camp at the same school they’ve been at for the past 4 1/2 years, it’s all pretty new and exciting!
For me, it’s new and exciting because it means I have until 4:30 to pick them up every day, instead of having to bolt from work at 3:00 so I can get Princess and meet Dude at home after the bus drops him off. It means I have just one drop off in the morning . . . both kids to the same place . . . no getting ready to go to the bus with Dude then coming home, finishing getting Princess ready, then taking her to school before I head to work. It means that Hubby and I can spend more time together on my Wednesdays off if he’s home. No rushing to fit in a movie in a tiny amount of time - no rushing around the golf course - no using all of our time getting groceries or running errands. That extra 1 1/2 hours is amazing! And finally, it means that I can sleep in an extra 45 minutes! Not that that will actually happen - that whole internal clock and stuff - but the kids can sleep in and they NEED it. Especially in the summer, they have so much fun and are so busy playing that they just crash at night. So ya - I’m WAY excited!
For Dude, it’s new and exciting because he gets to see some of his old friends from Montessori. We live in a different district than the Montessori school is in, so many of his friends that he had up through 1st grade went to different schools than he did. He loves his new school and friends that he made this year, and we kept in touch with the others, but he’s so excited to see them every day again! He’s also happy that he doesn’t have to get up so early.
For Princess, it’s new and exciting because she is moving on up - yup, today she heads in to the Kindergarten room! She’s so excited! I’m excited, and sad . . . I mean, my baby is in Kindergarten! She is so ready to move up . . . she was the oldest in her preschool class by 6 months, she no longer takes the required nap, and she was doing so well in her schoolwork. She also was ready to go on field trips with the bigger kids and be able to participate in the sports clinics they offer this summer. So yay - she’s so excited that she can hardly contain herslef 
For both of them, it’s new and exciting because of all the wonderful things they get to do. Throughout the summer they are participating in a number of different “clinics” at the school . . . golf, soccer, cheerleading. They also have a pool there, so they get to have swimming lessons 4 days a week every week! They learned a lot last year in those lessons, and this year the instructors are even better (we took private lessons with them previously) so we’re expecting great things And finally, there is at least 1 and sometimes 2 field trips per week for them to go on. We signed them up for all but a couple of them. It’s so awesome that they get to have so much fun all summer with their friends. It costs money, of course . . . but when we figured what it would cost for them to go to a number of different Y camps and sports camps and day camps and stuff, it was totally worth it. It’s not that much more for them to be able to stay at the same school all summer with the same schedule. And, it’s TOTALLY worth it for me to not have to figure all that stuff out and figure out where they can be while I’m at work . . . what a stress! It’s so worth it for me to just have them at one place and pick and choose what I want to sign them up for while they’re there. Next year will be a different story - Dude won’t go there for summer camp, so I’ll have to do all the scheduling and driving and bluck bluck bluck . . . so I’m taking advantage of one last stress free summer camp schedule
How about you - what do you do with your kids in the summer?
Yes, we are doing the camp thing. Even though I am home I need a break from them! But finding camps they can do together is HARD and they are only 1 1/2 years apart!. So they are doing Vacation Bible School (get at least one free), Cheer Camp, Soccer Camp and Dance Camp. They are all basically morning camps so they can play in the afternoons because quite honestly, they like to play at home. And, that way we can do other fun summery things too. Oh, and tack on 2 weeks to MN. That basically takes up the summer since Megan isn’t done with school until June 18.
My oldest starts kindergarten July 7th…year round schools here in NC…
Lucky for me this year, my fiance (almost husband as the wedding is 3 weeks away!), who is a professor is not teaching this summer. He’s doing a research project and can therefore work at home. He’ll have his older daughter here for 7 weeks and my daughter half time. So he can be home with them during the day. They are step-sisters six months apart and have a very sister relationship.
In any case, I digress from the question. Both girls will be going to Brownie camp, a 3 night overnight, but at differenct times. My daughter will also be going to a camp at an organic farm she has been to for a couple years. She loves it. She may also go to a Celtic dance camp, but that remains to be seen. She also spends a week with my parents, that we call Grammy and Grampy camp and it looks like she will be traveling to my ex-sister-in-law’s house in Florida for a vacation, too. Oh and I didn’t even mention our week with my FH’s family.
So she will be busy! but I am grateful that my fiance can take care of the day to day, that’s the advantage of being a professor. I wish MY job was 10 months!
That extra time in the mornings will be SO NICE, even if you won’t actually use it for sleeping.
Hey! I know!…you can use it for WORKING OUT!!
hee hee…you said you wanted a KICK IN THE BUTT — i’m here to hold up my end of the bargain.
Same thing we do all winter long
It sounds like your kids are lucky lucky and so are you for finding such a great place for them to be!!
We are moving this summer. Beyond that, I haven’t a CLUE what we’re doing…