Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime?

Thursday one of my neighbors asked me if my kids were doing any camps this summer...for me that was a loaded question. I have debated the whole time I have been here whether or not I should send my girls to some kind of camp. Its sort of an everybody's doing it kind of thing for me. I always wonder if I am depriving them of something by not sending them to camp. So here is the story of me and activities:

There was a time that I wasn't going to have my children do anything besides school until they were 8 because that would provide me the most opportunity to make sure they understood the gospel and were ready once they were accountable. Well, then we moved and to meet kids we did ballet (this was in Utah, only Katie does ballet here), then a friend asked us to do swimming lessons with them, so I did. Next thing you know I decided they could really benefit from the discipline that piano would teach them so they started piano with Candace. Soon, I started to notice what great swimmers all of my girl's friends were, so I asked their moms what they were doing and next thing you know we started swim team...do you see how it has just been a slippery slope for me? Actually, I really don't regret any of our activities and think the girls lives have been enriched from each one. My new litmus test for activities is whether it is something that is benefitting them or if it is just a time filler. We don't do any time-fillers.

So back to camp. Everyone I know (except dental students) send their kids to camp. But, I don't. It is not because we can't afford it. We could make it work. It is not because I don't like them, I think some of them would be fun and interesting. And its not because I am fundamentally against them, I'm not. The truth is, we have so much fun in the summer. During school there is constantly homework and piano practice and play dates and school stuff. Summer is the only time we get together. I love watching my girls run up the street with the neighbors, shouting their big plans for the day. I love seeing six little girls sitting under the tree eating popsicles, I love seeing an entire chalk town appear in my driveway with my little ladies admiring all their hard work. I love seeing my girls catch every variety of bugs and try to make them a home in some kind of crazy container. I love summer. I love wading in the creek with my kids, trying to catch fish, throwing rocks and hunting for craw-daddy. I love seeing my monkeys climb a tree and going on a bike ride to buy an ice cream. I can't share my girls (or my boy of course) with camp. Summer just isn't long enough.