Summer Camp

Another first for our 3 year old; Summer Camp! Derick will be starting pre-school this fall. (Ack! My little man is growing up.) So, to see how this will feel and to give him something fun to do this summer, we signed him up for a week of camp. It was run by the City of Renton's rec program and was housed at the North Highlands Center. He went for five days, from 9am to noon. The night before the first day of camp, I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I have left him before with "strangers" (aka...play centers in Fred Meyer and IKEA) but this felt different somehow. After dinner I talked to him about how the day would go, what he might be doing, and the behaviour we expected from him. I reminded him that his buddy, Savanah would be there and that they could play together all morning. All the while, I was wondering about how he (and I) would do, having seperate mornings. Would he be safe? Would he behave? Will he enjoy the activites?

The first morning, we checked in the kids and surprise, I got a little teary eyed watching him run into the room and start checking out the play stations. Hello-My boy is so grown up! We met the teacher, Ms. Sherill. She was warm and welcoming. She re-assured us all would be well. And it was! Derick had a fantastic week. He did art and crafts, played with toys, learned about animals, and learned new songs. It was fun to hear him tell me about experiences that I hadn't shared with him. When you are a stay at home mom, this is a rare occurance.

I am looking forward to the fall, when he will start Pre-School. He's ready for some new experiences and I am ready to hear about the world from his eyes, too.