In The Meantime

Cooler than normal summer temperatures are not words I like to hear.  Especially in July.  Each day has me praying for the heat to come back.  The kind of heat where we say things like, "it's too hot to do anything" or "you better eat your ice cream fast" or  "let's get to a lake".  

In the meantime, we've been filling our days with giant dinosaurs and mermaids...

We've been playing Barbies and instilling unrealistic and slightly ridiculous dreams and goals by watching Barbie's Princess Charm School movie multiple times.  Balancing books on our head has now become one of our new pastimes around here.  You just never know when you might get called upon to be a princess.

We've pimped our rides.  The training wheels are back on Tigger and he's sporting a princess basket for a new, updated look for his current owner.

Callie picked out a new bike to accommodate her rapid leg growth.  Basically she got the only bike in town that was her size so I very loosely use the term picked out.  She is more than pleased with her pick which is really all that matters.  And she promised that if I bought her the bike horn that she wouldn't be annoying with it!

Cloudy days call for some color.  Break open some paint and a couple of dollar store canvases, a few buttons and some glue and there you have it.  An afternoon of creative inspiration.  As with any art project, you'll find me still gluing buttons long after the girls have ditched me for other things.  

Callie is going to day camp this week.  This is a big deal for her. I always encourage her to try things but I will likely always struggle with when to gently push her and when to step back and follow her lead.  I decided to push for these five days of camp. The instructor is her Kindergarten teacher and several of her classmates are also participating so  logic and reason confirmed with me that this would be an okay time to gently encourage her to try something new.

With Callie at camp, I've had a some quality time slurping smoothies with little sister at our favorite coffee shop.

The first day of camp had a longish drop off as I stayed until she had a chance to get comfortable with the surroundings.  When it was time for me to leave, she was brave.  Her face was smothered in apprehension as she hugged me goodbye somehow managing to hold her tears in her watery eyes.  When I picked her up she was in the middle of  a game, seemingly enjoying herself.  On the way home I asked about her day.  All her tears came rolling out.  She did not want to go back.  

The second day drop off time was a bit shorter but still full of apprehension, bravery, tight hugs and damp eyes.  And the pickup was much the same, she was engaged in a game but eager to go home when she saw me coming.  On the way home I asked her about the show they were working on that the parents were invited to come and watch at the end of the week.  The mention of this show opened her emotional floodgates.  "I don't want to be in the show.  I'm supposed to say a poem.  The other girls are doing a dance.  I don't even know what I'm supposed to do.  Why do I have to be in the show?  Why do I have to go to this camp?" The desperation in her voice and the angst look on her sweet, freckled, little six year old face had me questioning whether I was doing the right thing.  

I decided that she should finish the five days of camp mostly because I believe we should finish what we start, fulfill our commitments even if it's not easy.  But I agreed to talk to the teacher to find out the importance of this show and weigh it against the anxiety it seems to be responsible for.  

Today I told her it was her decision if she wanted to be in the show at the end of the week.  She was to practice with her group each day but if she didn't want to be in the show then she didn't have too.  She said, "okay" and looked like the world had been lifted off her shoulders. I have no idea if this was the right or wrong thing to do.  Like I said, I will probably always struggle with when to push and when to hold back. When I dropped her off, I hung around for a bit because I could and I had time.  I left when the formal activities were starting.  I got extra hugs goodbye.  And all eyes were dry.

When I picked her up she was excited to show me what she caught and was allowed to bring home...

...and there was even a couple of smiles.  Froggy was only allowed to come home under the strict guideline that he would be released back into the wild.  Callie found a nice pool of water in the backyard for froggy to call home and let him go.  She says she's going to catch another one tomorrow... at day camp.