Summer Camps

This summer, we let each child attend a camp. CC wanted to go to ballet camp (again), and Sweet Pea and Little Man -- having never been to a camp before -- were open to ideas. I decided a small 3-day gymnastics camp would be fun for both of them. And like ballet camp for CC last year, gymnastics camp would be a test run for the twins: if they liked it, I would sign them up for classes this coming school year.

Success all around. CC had a blast at Swan Lake camp, and the twins bounced and tumbled and flipped to their hearts' content.

Unfortunately, since the preschool group stayed on the far end of the gymnastics floor, I couldn't get many pictures or videos of Little Man and Sweet Pea. But here's a video of them on the tumble track (a long trampoline). It was their favorite part of camp! At the end there's a huge pit full of soft foam -- that's where they "disappear" into when they jump off.

And some pictures of them stretching:

Since gymnastics camps started at 8 am, CC came with me to drop Sweet Pea and Little Man off before I brought her to ballet camp at 9. After the first day, CC was more than a little jealous. She was ready to drop out of ballet camp mid-week and switch to gymnastics!

She wasn't the only one who was awe-struck: I was really impressed with the gymnastics facility. I'd heard a lot of great things about it from fellow moms, but nothing prepared me for the amazing stunts I saw the older children doing on the far side of the facility. Uneven bars, vaults, floor routines ... to my untrained eye, these teenagers looked like the US Olympic team! It was amazing, and so incredible to think that all those children started just like Little Man and Sweet Pea are now.

Despite her envy and newly stated desire to drop ballet for gymnastics, CC still loved her camp. On Friday they performed a little Swan Lake show in which the younger kids (CC and peers) played the part of the little swans, and the older girls played the part of Odette.

CC is on the far right when the video starts.

It was a nice experience all around. Between pick up and drop off times, I got about an hour of free time to run quick errands for three days. Ha! Next summer, fortunately, the kids will all qualify for full-week programs!