Kids' busy schedule of camps makes Mom jealous

Published July 28, 2011 in the Commercial Appeal

I'm a little jealous of my kids' summer schedule.

In the past, they've done the summer program at their school. But now that they are 7 and 9, I wanted to give them the opportunity to try new things in new places with new people, and -- if I was lucky -- have them come away with a new appreciation of what they already have.

I anticipated a lot of morning struggles, so I started them off at a small art camp at the Garden Path Studio. When we arrived the first day and they discovered they knew some of the other campers from tae kwon do and Memphis Rock-n-Romp, I could see them instantly relax. They had a great time making pottery, rubber stamps, drawings and even (sanctioned) "graffiti" on the outside wall of the studio.

Despite their successful first week, there was lots of moaning and groaning about "All Sports Camp" at Grace-St. Luke's. When I explained that "all sports" included field trips to Putt-Putt, the bowling alley and the skating rink, they perked up. In no time, they were making new friends, fitting right in and learning some new games...(Read more).