Remember summer? My gosh I miss it. Now that we're two weeks into school, I'm still wishing for cold pools, ice cream and summer camp. I guess a blog post about how awesome it was will have to do. Every summer, we save up to send our older kids to summer camp in Arkansas. I'm a summer camp/counselor kid and I know how much it shaped me. Being able to do that with my own kids is a tremendous gift. Bust out the bug spray and face paint and let's talk all things camp, shall we? It's that time of year when I interview the kids about their week. Camp according to CLARE Horsemanship: "You have to be really careful around horses. Don't forget to put an imaginary horse behind your real horse. … [Read more...]
Top Ten: Why You Should Send Your Kids to Camp
On Monday's packing post, I shared that I had been a summer camper and counselor. It was one of the most formational things I did as a young person. When I was very young (kindergarten-age), I traveled to New Mexico for summer camp for two weeks. Before you let your jaw drop about my parents sending me four hours away to another state at age 5, let me explain. I'm from a super-small town in the Texas panhandle and a fair amount of the kids I grew up with went to this camp. So, while I was going "away", I took plenty of friends with me. In fact, my mom says I gave her a half hug and skipped over to my cabin when they dropped me off at camp. As a college student, I helped staff the Texas … [Read more...]
The Artist Comes Alive at Art Camp
For obvious reasons I am a lover of art - graphic design, interior design, hand-crafted, paintings, still life - I love it all. That love began early. My dad was a commercial art major in college and we have tons of his oil paintings at our family home. As a little girl, my dad taught me how to paint. It is one of my most precious memories of childhood. No doubt my brother and I are already fighting over who gets one of his paintings. Don't worry, Daniel, I've already marked it with a sticky note. Fast forward to the present. When Will began school we were introduced to a really incredible art teacher, Celeste Ingraffia (now Robbins). The artwork Will brought home his first two … [Read more...]
DEEP
Each spring, our kids take the private school equivalent of the TAKS standardized tests - the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills). If your child scores above the 95% overall, they are invited to participate in a summer program for children who are gifted and talented.Back in Dumas during my elementary school days, I think that consisted of flower arranging and a here's how to count to 10 in French! We were extremely proud of Will for making such high marks and qualifying for the three-week camp.They had 47 courses in which to choose (wow!) and Will's top choices ended up making the cut. We didn't give him any limits, we just told him to choose what he loved. I … [Read more...]
Art Camp 2011
I love, love, love art!! Especially spectacular art created by my children. We have it hung all over our house. It is a reminder that little people can make beautiful things with simple mediums.For the past few summers we've had the honor of attending Art Camp, led by the fabulous Celeste Ingraffia. She was formerly the art teacher at Will's school, left for a year, and now she's returned as the fine arts chairperson at St. Dominic Savio HS. You won't find a more creative person.If you're looking for a spectacular camp to send your kids to this summer, look no farther. You don't need to be Catholic, just a lover of all things plaster, oil, charcoal and paint. She does … [Read more...]
