Summer Camp update

Aside from being 15 minutes late, the camp bus arrived back into town safe and sound with all the campers accounted for. The girls came off the bus no worse for the wear and with smiles on their faces which I took as a good sign. They both were quick to say that they had a fun day at camp. At one point, Middle girl even reported that she was sad when it was time to get on the bus to leave because she wanted to stay even longer! I fear we may have a party girl in the making in that one. She never likes to see the good times end.

One of Eldest girl's first comments to me was, "you're probably going to be mad, but I failed the swim test." Huh? I cannot for the life of me figure out why she thought I'd be mad. (Apart from the fact that she sets high expectations on herself and tends to be a bit perfectionistic. I'm guessing that failure was not an easy pill to swallow - it never is, but she seems to have a harder time of it.) She was very mad because of the way the swim test was given. Apparently, the kids were asked to swim a particular length from one side of a u-shaped dock to the other and then tread water for a given amount of time. Eldest girl cried as she told me that she knew she wouldn't be able to do it and that she swam the distance fine but then was too winded to do the full amount of treading water. She felt it unfair that they made her do the water treading after the swimming. I explained that it was probably set up that way for a reason - namely that they needed to test her strength and stamina in the water. She would not be disabused of the notion that the test was unfair. I did my best to reassure her that I was not mad and that I was sure she did the best she could. She also stated that she knew she was not going to be able to pass as soon as they told her what was required. To which I explained that if she went into it thinking so negatively that perhaps that didn't help her get a positive outcome. I told her that perhaps she needed to go into it with a more positive attitude. I'm not sure I helped much with that bit but I really feel that negative thinking will lead to negative results and it's a lesson best learned young. Eldest girl has a tendency to think negatively and that has always bothered me. At the end of a fun day she will most often lament the things she didn't get to do instead of rejoicing in the things that were fun about the day. Or she'll let one sour moment overshadow all else. She did the same thing yesterday. She let her failure in the swim test overshadow the fun times. She also compared Middle girl's activities to her own and complained that Middle girl seemed to have participated in more activities. I explained that the kindergarten set tend to have shorter attention spans which might account for the increased number of activities but that they both arrived at camp at the same time and left at the same time which would indicate that one did not get more than the other. (However, Middle girl - by her very nature - might have possibly squeezed more fun out of her day! I'm just saying... Not that I would say that out loud.)

In the end, I think they both really did have a good day and they both climbed on the bus this morning happy and carefree as all summer campers should be. Eldest girl did tell us that she will have another opportunity to attempt the swim test again today. Maybe she will take my words to heart and think more positively ("I think I can! I think I can!" -- perhaps I should have given her that book to read last night...along with her current Harry Potter obsession).

Youngest girl and I have another quiet, but fun day planned. Yesterday we ran a few errands, took a bike ride through the neighborhood (something that is a rare treat since Middle girl doesn't want to do much more than ride to the end of the street and back and Eldest girl can ride her two-wheeler but refuses to practice stopping so she doesn't really like to use her bike for fear of falling...sigh), read a few books, did a few puzzles and she even took a long nap which allowed me to get some cleaning and pick-up done around the house. Today we have been hanging out at home this morning in the comfort of the a/c because it's stinking hot outside. After lunch we are going to a friend's pool for some cooling off and by the time we leave there it will be almost time to get the older girls off the camp bus.

Plans for tomorrow? A much needed haircut and lunch with Rick while Youngest girl hangs out with Grandma and Grandad!