Friday July 13th, 2012
Dear Camp Parents, Families and maybe even some Grandparents
out there,
Greetings
from happy, but hot, Pony Farm…Wow, for Friday the 13th, it sure is
a hot one. We are all in a swelter. Everyone is being such a great sport to keep
going to get ready for the horse show tomorrow.
What a wonderful group of girls. They surely do love their ponies and
each other. I continue to be impressed by their spunk and zest for life.
Today
started out hot and continued to be hot.
We are always careful with the girls as those riding helmets really
catch and keep the heat. We did the
final group hacks and then everyone practiced over their trail class or jumping
course. We even did a ‘course walk’ to help the girls be ready! The kids and
staff were in high spirits as they headed out to ride despite the humidity and
heat.
This
afternoon the girls cleaned their tack and bathed their horses. The staff raked the rings after they had been
watered, trying to keep down the dust without running out of water! The courses got set and decorated. All the ribbons got organized, as did the
trophies. Manes got pulled and kids were coached. It was fun to see. It was even more fun to see that the staff
was so organized today that I hardly had to do anything. Each time I would go to do something, I would
find it already in place. Each time I suggested something about the tack or an
idea for a kiddo, they had already done it!
What a thrill to have staff members who are so organized and invested…I
like the word “invested”…They are really invested in “their group”, “their
riders”, “their camp”. Aren’t I a lucky
camp director to have a staff who truly feels it is “their girls”!!!
Tonight, we
will do dinner and then I will do a “pep talk” and let the girls know what to
do tomorrow morning as we all wake up bright and early. I will talk about sportsmanship…and hard
work…and trying hard…and winning…and losing…and trying again. I hope you will celebrate all of that
tomorrow if you come to the show. If you are not coming, worry not! We will be there in spades for your children
and will cheer them on, no matter whether they win or get 6th , or
no ribbon at all. Together, we are
teaching them resiliency…and appropriate competition and sportsmanship and just
plain old good ‘showing up’. I love it.
While this
week was more focused on the show with the lessons, we did also leave room for
fun! We had crazy, silly and creative
afternoon and evening activities. The
highlight of it all was the fun Circus Camp which came yesterday to give us a
real show…I loved it all. Our day camp, Barn Yard Buddies, for children with
special needs came…two other local day camps arrived in busses and several
local families with children came…In short, about 100 people picnicked together
while we watched a most thrilling show with about 25 performers. Between skits,
juggling, acrobatics, human pyramids, unicycles, more skits, great music, more
juggling and great spirit, the afternoon was simply wonderful. I adored seeing
all the kids invested (there is that word again) in what was happening and kids
strutting their stuff and not minding when they dropped the ball! It was a wonderful lesson in life. I was proud to be a part of it all. I wish you could have been a ‘fly on our wall’
and seen it for yourself. The power and
immensity of kids is truly inspiring.
Next week
we will delve into more of the fun and creative parts of camp. We will have a peaceful “non riding” day on
Sunday. We will let the kids sleep late and leisurely relax in the morning with
a good book and time to write letters or do crafts. We will then have a nice
brunch and hit the pool and the small animal barn. All the while, the kids will work together to
do skits or dances or songs or gymnastics or silly charades or great piano or who
knows what for their Talent Show. Typically, we will have 12 to 15 acts and it
will fill a summer evening with delight.
It reminds me of Tasha Tudor who drew such great pictures and spun such
wonderful stories about a simpler, more peaceful time. This Talent Show reminds me of this!
We will
then plan our week. We will do a camping
trip with the ponies…or actually two camping nights as so many kids want to go.
We will also swim with the horses in a lovely safe and secluded pond. We will prepare for your Parent’s Exhibition
and have a wonderful time together.
While I love the horse shows, I truly appreciate the less scheduled and
more free form time at camp. Kids are so
over scheduled during the rest of the year that I think it is so good to just
let them ‘be’ … I love the times when we can do things that they can’t do at
their local barns and schools. While we
keep it safe and organized, we also want them to experience some of the joys of
life on a farm. I feel certain you would
agree!!! Life as a grown up is stressful
enough… Let’s let kids be kids and enjoy their early days of carefree bliss.
So, I end
as I began, by saying what great kids you have.
We are having a blast and everyone is doing such good work in preparing
for tomorrow. I am off to dinner and to
get the final touches on the horse show…right before we prepare for all the
more informal fun coming next week. If
you come to the show tomorrow, make sure you check in with me. I always love to
chat! If you can’t come, know that we
are loving your daughter(s) and look forward to seeing you next Saturday with a
wonderful Parents’ Exhibition. We think
and hope you will be excited by all that your children have learned.
Stay well.
We will hug your kiddos tonight and watch then sweetly slumbering.
Warmly,
Boo
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