Camps

[houseelf]

What camps are your kids going to do? There are a bajillion to choose from. DS wanted to go to Chess camp but it was $225 for 5 mornings. Um, NO! :thud: Tennis camp was also outrageously priced so I think I'll wait to see if I can find some sort of cheap lessons at the Y in the fall.

DS is going to a week of camp at a local YMCA program and a week of Spanish camp.

DD is going to a three day farm camp (mornings only) and a week of Spanish camp (mornings only). (Her latest thing is that she wants to be a pig farmer. )

They *might* do Vacation Bible School at our church. I don't know. I don't know how parents afford all of these camps! I've made payments on these camps since January and they are each only attending two!

Kelly

[peggyfromwastate]

Re: Camps

You have to be a dawkter's wife to afford to send your kids to camp around here.... Seriously, they start at around $500 a week. For day camp only... I'm sure there are better deals out there, but .

Steven's going to a Boy Scouts camp for 1 week (daycamp), and Kate's probably going to overnight camp in Washington state if we can make our summer trip. That camp is $300-- not at all bad for 6 nights! I'll try to find a VBS for them too, but that may not work out.

I don't have anything for Izzy. Next summer I'll plan better and try to get her into an art day-camp-- she'd like that. Steven's boy scout camp just sort of was sprung on us last minute...

[houseelf]

Re: Camps

You have to be a dawkter's wife to afford to send your kids to camp around here....

The City Rec commission and the YMCA have some reasonably priced camps here. Have you checked these places? I saw some five days/mornings only camps (tennis/nature) for $40. Do you have a local moms website attached to your newspaper? This is a wonderful resource for these kind of things.

Peggy, you really deserve a break. Err...I mean your kids deserve camp opportunities.

Kelly

[Phoebe]

Re: Camps

DD#1 is going to girl scout day camp for a week which includes one overnight. I am scared about that, but her whole troup will be there and it is 20 minutes away. She is also going to an 8 days of 1/2 day kindergarten enrichment camp right before school starts. That is a little pricey, but will give her a refresher course before school starts up again and the last day is pool party.
She will have her gymnastics practice 4 hours/week. Ugh..

DD#2's preschool offers a twice a week summer school during the month of June which she is attending. I think she will be taking gymnastics. Both girls will attend VBS at our church.

[DCJenn]

Re: Camps

Reason #8734 why I love crunchy school- it's basically 8 weeks of 'camp'. He's taking "Vive La France" and "Waterworks" and "the African Plains" etc. and it's less money per week than regular crunchy school.

Jenn

Re: Camps

I blanched at paying $264 for 2, 2 week/4 day sessions of swimming for the dudes. I'm not so into the camps. They're expensive, and my kids are far enough apart in age that they can't do the same ones. I'm not running all over creation at all different times for something they may or may not like.

As far as the break for me ... I've arranged to have a sitter on Mondays through the summer. It will really only be about 1/2 the Mondays b/c she's a busy, busy girl ... but it will be nice to know.

We're going to spend the bulk of our summer by the pool.

Re: Camps

I'm hoping for some nice weather and pool time. I'm sure that will last for a week or so and then I'll be pulling my hair out with keeping the younger two kids in when they should be in and out when they should be out.

The post-residency camp schedule....all day camps....zoo camp, nature camp at state park/nature preserve, girl scout camp for Bryn, and a farm camp (um, wait, we have to pay you to have them pick your vegetables?). All but the GS camp are for both kids. This is our first year where they can be in camp (different sessions) at the same time. Except that two of Anna's camps are half day.

[Sheherezade]

Re: Camps

No camps here, yet. I'm thinking we may be back to Camp Mom this year. DS has the knee injury, so all day sports camps (his usual) are out. DD may or may not do the flaky/artsy theater camp at our local theatre. She is not doing the more serious school sanctioned drama camp ($745 for three weeks).

Both kids have music lessons and activities continuing in the summer and we go to the local Rec in the afternoons for the pool. They also have lots of free one day classes run by parent volunteers. Very unprofessional, laid back and fun. Some of the classes are things like "kickball" and "poker". I did forensics last year and set up mock crime scenes. I may sign the kids in to some of those. There is a Guitar Hero camp for 5 half days run by some high school boys. I think I can get DS to agree to that. Both the kids did a 5 day mountain bike camp there last year.

Our local Rec is fantastic, volunteer run and cheap. Too bad it is only for the summer months.

[Vanquisher]

Re: Camps

I can't afford camps. We are going to have a laid-back, play outside, go to the pool kind of summer.

I am such a bad dawkter's wife.

[DCJenn]

Re: Camps

We're keeping the same schedule for the dude because we both work.

(who am I kidding, I'd keep him in school even if I wasn't going full-time. I can't do the African Plains or Vive La France...)

Jenn

[rainbabies]

Re: Camps

Umm, camps not only require money but driving back and forth, schedules, making sack lunches...

We're all about the laid back schedule free, wake up when you want, swim as long as you want, live in our jammies for a week, watch too much tv, eat too much ice cream kind of summer.

that's it. i'm packingmy stuff and heading to tara's house.

Re: Camps

Umm, camps not only require money but driving back and forth, schedules, making sack lunches...

Yes, this is the big drawback. Especially since some of Anna's camps are half day and Bryn's are full day. At least they are at the same places (for the am) and I signed up for the same week as the neighbor so I can share driving.

[peggyfromwastate]

Re: Camps

You have to be a dawkter's wife to afford to send your kids to camp around here....

The City Rec commission and the YMCA have some reasonably priced camps here. Have you checked these places? I saw some five days/mornings only camps (tennis/nature) for $40. Do you have a local moms website attached to your newspaper? This is a wonderful resource for these kind of things.

Peggy, you really deserve a break. Err...I mean your kids deserve camp opportunities.

Kelly

We have some decent rec opportunities... I'll look into it next year I think. This summer we also have swimming, and swim meets on Saturdays, and then mid-July we start the lazy hazy days of summer... Where if we try to go to the pool in the afternoon it's too hot and muggy and the kids want to leave right away... :huh:

I'm pretty sure that if I let Isabel paint away while her brother's at cub scout camp she will feel like she got the better end of the deal!

[rainbabies]

Re: Camps

i want to know how you all afford this on a resident salary??

[rainbabies]

Re: Camps

and i guess im lucky (or lame) that my kids have fun at the local park...or mcdonalds play land :huh: ...and that they're too young to ask.