From Camp Mini Macks

Dear Mini Macks Readers,

I am sorry I haven’t written from summer camp. This summer’s activities have been nothing short of constant fun! First we traveled to the mountains in the Shenandoah Valley where we painted from the mountain tops, hiked through the woods, swam the Olympic sized pools, and triumphed many a play ground. We visited the Virginia Safari Park where we fed animals through our car windows over a three-mile, 180-acre property of sheer giggles of fun. How often do you get to have ox snot on your shoulders or emu beaks poke a bucket in your hands? Fantastic!

Shortly upon our return I was sent to the craft corner to finish up a ton of pieces for an art show. A beautifully grand event, The Gallery Life, I was honored to be asked to contribute a booth of oil paintings. The Mini Macks cheered every preparatory step along the way. Each evening’s progress was made at the French easel and each morning the Mini Macks would critique and encourage me in the changes. “Needs more orange.” “I think its perfect like all your pieces.” “Is that supposed to be a honeybee or some other bug?”

In addition to tons of fun pool side and park side play dates with the best of friends and family, July brought a surprise onset of a reader bug.

Our dear library had not been visited in weeks and a fresh bag of books long overdue. In minutes they saw the summer changes at the library and wanted to join the summer reading program that was displayed throughout. Being read to counted for Rory and Cody and thankfully Ryder, not yet an inspired reader, decided to overcome his claims of not being able to read and read 50 beginner reader books in just over a week! Prize wheel, cheap prizes, and stuffed animals have a way of motivating the young folk! Yahoo!

I was yet again sent to the craft corner. Two commissioned pieces came my way after the art show. Nerve wracking and totally fun, honored and thrilled, a sunset from the Chesapeake Bay on one canvas and a Silkie chicken adorning old wooden boards on another. I am learning a lot and have even more respect for artists as a result!

This month is providing summer’s last hoorahs. A few more gatherings by the pool, a few more trips to shove our toes in the sand. Fun nights cramped with Oma in her camper while Papa and Chris had to work. Busch Gardens and Water Country thrills in Williamsburg with Grandma. Soon, it will be time to hit the books, begin the fall field trips, and return from summer camp to a life of schedules and tons of (nearly) equally fun learning! In the meantime, we will enjoy our final weeks and we hope you all will do the same.

If our summer was half as much fun as yours, then I’m sure you had twice as much fun as us! Whoop!

Love,

The Mini Macks