Home Camp

This was the rag-tag little parade we led up the hill to the final performance of Eliza's three-week theater camp experience. Good friends she has, huh?  She had a great time this year; her apprehensions about reading were overcome, and she came home everyday excited about the next. She's already told me she's going again next year.

Some very serious listening going on

 Aside from the fact that Eliza was having a blast, and balancing out the miserably early starting hour, were the mornings I had with Anika.  We sort of declared our own "camp time", and checked in at the start of each week to see what we wanted to do together.  Some days it looked a lot Home: puzzles, pretend, games...

Other days we got out to hike, go to the farmer's market, or to the garden...

Ani sat in the (growing) bean teepee one morning, writing about beans, just cause she wanted to do that instead of working on the garden.  She wrote, "How Beans Grow--Sun and Rain and Soil and Wind" and observed that their leaves are prickly, like a comfrey leaf.

I love these mornings with her.  She chats constantly, but when I'm not trying to focus on anyone else, it is totally engaging.

 One morning she asked if we could walk to a local cafe on the river for a smoothie date...

Past the jewelweed, past the community garden and the ballfields, along the bikepath, to the river we went, to enjoy a smoothie and the company of some coy.

Six is sweet. Mornings with this girl are something to be treasured.

(Painting and modeling her new summer 'do...She trussed up her hair yesterday morning with bobby pins and ponytails and then exclaimed, OH YEAH, I HATE having stuff in my hair! I need it cut off NOW! One showing of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas later, and she had a new look.)

I asked her after Eliza's performance today if she thought she might like to go to theater camp next year? She said she didn't think so...

All right by me!