Chicklet's Theatre/Producers Camp!

Okay, peeps.

If you're following along with this here blog in sequential order, you'll know that, post 4th of July, we hit the ground running with a rotation (and sometimes overlap!) of camps specific to the kiddos' individual interests.

Little Man's basketball.

Chica's choir.

And then we rounded it out with...Chicklet's Theatre Camp!

Specifically, a Young Producers theatre camp, where the participants spent the week writing, staging, costuming, and directing a short (but fully-formed) scene alongside their team.

And let me just start with the spoiler and say that when we watched Chicklet on stage for the late-afternoon performance on the final day, we were blown away! She absolutely nailed it!

To back up a bit...Chicklet hadn't show too much theatrical interest until Middle School, when she enrolled in theatre as one of her Fine Arts electives.

And though it can sometimes be difficult for her to find her place and enjoy theatrical space within the school's overarching program (so many kids, so few opportunities!), she was bold in trying out for musicals and plays and odds and ends productions/events here and there--and was eventually cast in a technical role for the Spring play!

It was a hard-won opportunity that gave her a lot of deserved pride:

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2026/03/tech-triumph-rainforest-riverwalk-romp.html

Though, if I'm being honest, Chicklet's tech role was a big win, but it also felt a little--shall we say?--lackluster to her. Lots and lots of sitting around while the stage actors rehearsed. So although it gave her at least some participatory role in an official school musical/play, it left her wanting for much more. Specifically, any kind of on-stage opportunity.

Honestly, by the time the school year ended, I wasn't sure if she would choose to re-enroll in theatre for her 7th grade year, but at the end of the day, the positives still outweighed the negatives and she decided to continue on.

That said...I wasn't too surprised when she came to me just a few weeks into summer and asked to participate in some kind of theatre camp. Something that would help her scratch that itch in an outside-of-school environment. 

Of course, it's easier said than done to find a program, a specific camp, a week that's available, but I had the assistance of a mom friend who'd daughter is a big theatre kid, and she pointed me in the right direction. 

It has to be said that Chicklet is very black and white when it comes to things she's open to and things she is not. So I was a little apprehensive taking her that first day to camp, because I knew if the first impression wasn't favorable, the whole shebang would be a lost cause.

Well...she came home that day kind of meh. It wasn't a total victory, but she didn't refuse to return, and--lo and behold--it turned out to be sort of a slow burn, but a BIG WIN in the end!

For starters, Chicklet liked her teammates for the week, and that was clutch.

Secondly, she appreciated the equal representation they had in writing/directing/acting. If anything, Chicklet had the "lead" role in their little production and definitely shaped the storyline and the costumes in a major way.

Still...even when the slow burn momentum was building and I could see this wasn't going to be a negative week for Chicklet, we hit a snag.

Chicklet came home on Wednesday and fell sick--hard and fast.

She had to stay home from camp on Thursday and run to urgent care for a quick strep test, along with a slew of other swabs. But--hooray!--she got the all clear for anything that was obnoxiously contagious. So, basically, the doc told her it was up to her discretion: if she was up for attending and performing on the final day, she could do it, if she was listening to her body.

And--color me shocked--Chicklet was determined to rest up (and rest she did; she really was down and out for a hard 36 hours) and then pushed herself to be there on Friday to support and participate. :)

Obviously, I was incredibly proud on so many fronts.

First, I was amazed that this camp wasn't a black and white, hard NO for Chicklet, even though it started slow.

Second, I was impressed by her participation and interest in the production process.

And finally, I was so pleased to see her committed enough to something that she was willing to power through her illness to BE there--and then slay it on stage, despite a sick day and loss of rehearsal!

Other than a couple lines here and there in a giant, grade-level, elementary school production throughout the years, this was our first experience seeing Chicklet on stage, and...WOW.

I really, truly, completely was blown away by her ease, her comedic instincts, and her memorization abilities!

She tells us she has a photographic memory of things like this, and after all the lines she learned in just a few short days, I kind of believe that!

I'm so glad we made a big deal of showing up in mass, our whole nuclear family--plus one of Chicklet's best buddies, who was happy to attend and then come over for a celebratory sleepover afterwards.

Chicklet is NOT a praise kind of gal. In fact, we just completed a hysterical family quiz regarding Love Languages, and Words of Affirmation is near the bottom-of-the-barrel for Chicklet. 

STILL. 

I think it's important for her to be the center of attention, just once in a blue moon, and receive praise she definitely deserves, and this was that moment. 

Additionally, I'm so happy Chicklet got a lot of quality time with one of her buddies last week. Other than a group hang here or there, they hadn't spent a ton of time together since school was out, and the two of them got not one, but two sleepovers at our casa last week. :)

Juggling three kids, catering to their individual interests and needs, and giving them all the quality time and attention they deserve is NOT easy. In fact it feels harder and harder as the years progress.

Too often, I feel like I'm slaying it with one and bombing it with another.

I joke it's like whack-a-mole and I can never give all the attention to the one who really needs it, but...I'm trying.

So for now, I'll just take the win and say that I'm thrilled we managed a trifecta of Basketball/Choir/Theatre all within a two-week period.

More updates as I'm able; things have now slowed down in the week since!

Until then: Happy Tuesday, peeps! (Goodness, is it only Tuesday?!)

Over and out.

Chica's Pre- All-State Choir Camp!

Okay, peeps!

Next in the order of updates...Chica's Choir Camp that happened within the same week as Little Man's Spurs Camp (from the last post)!

Chica has been a choir kid since her elementary days. A happy songbird. It's her first and forever Fine Arts Love. Not to mention, a happy class period within her school day and something that's a no-brainer for her to continue in to her High School years--alongside Orchestra.

(See below for some of my favorite Chica/Choir posts):

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2021/08/some-fine-arts-exposure.html

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2022/05/chicas-4th5th-grade-pop-show-choir.html

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2025/05/madam-choir-president.html

Anywho...this past year (8th grade), Chica decided to audition for Regionals (and made it; alongside lots of classmates!) and had a positive experience singing with a larger ensemble on a bigger stage, with higher performance stakes.

I'm learning as I go (because my brain is rusty from my High School days and because things are different and we're in a different state), but Regionals is basically the precursor and qualifier to All-State.

I've still got a lot to understand about the process, but....long and short: Chica had a chance to participate in an All-State prep camp to start learning the 10 choral arrangements she'll need to master to audition for All-State as a High School student.

The camp was three, long days (at Chica's High School), followed by an evening performance of all they'd learned (a lot!).

Honestly, the performance began with the Star Spangled Banner, and about two seconds in, I was thinking: Holy sh**, we're on a whole, new level, here! The sound was incredible. A leveled-up performance, for sure!

Chica was understandably anxious attending the camp, of many reason. First, because she hadn't seen a handful of her Choir friends (any who were also participating) in a while. Second, because the camp was taking place at the High School. And third, because it was not only open to 9th-12th graders within her High School, but the region, as well! I think the director said there were more than 30 schools across the state represented amongst the participants. Wild!

As you can imagine, she was both proud of her participation, but relieved to be done and to revert back to easy, Summer chill vibes--for as long as she can manage them!

As luck would have it, Chica finished her concert (above) and then popped on over to her friend's musical theatre performance (related to a separate camp). Then enjoyed the sweet, sweet reward of a happy sleepover with her friends who were in town and available.

I love that they all chose to keep the good times going the following morning by shopping in Chica's closet and dressing up to attend church with us. Such beauties--inside and out.

After church and lunch, I let the girlies wishful shop in one of their favorite clothing stores, and it was cute to see them all mooning over things they liked as they started to think about Back-to-School shopping.

Chica had been looking for a babydoll-type, casual Summer top and found a fantastic clearance option that we snagged on the spot. :)

Then she and I made two more rounds of shopping trips over the last few days to try to knock out the rest of her wishful shopping, and for the first time (perhaps ever, since we typically don't have much shopping luck this time of year), she had major success!

Like, so much success we staged a Pretty Woman moment with the haul:

All I can say is: thank stinking goodness for sales and solid finds that can mix and match and give her a awesomesauce wardrobe launch to the school year (not to mention, her first High School year!).

Luckily, my girl has been pretty stable for years regarding her wardrobe choices. She knows what she likes, occasionally has something trendier that she wants to hunt down, but is pretty committed to her style vibe and I love that. 

Needless to say, I'm grateful we've wrapped up this portion of the gearing-up-for-school overwhelm. 

Chicklet still prefers not to shop (like, at all, if she can help it) and instead sends me as her personal shopper to do all the leg work--and accept all the criticism for fails, but very little for wins, ha.

So I've been picking up odds and ends for her as I'm able, but she's in a super-stable place, clothing-wise, as well. 

So, there you have it: a successful round of Choir Camp for Chica during the same week as Little Man's Spur's Camp--right on the heels of both Canada and our 4th of July Lake Trip!

It's been busy, busy since, so I have oodles more catch up posts to tackle, but I'm grateful for knocking out two, today!

Happy Catch-Up Monday, peeps!

Over and out.

Insert 

Little Man's Summer Spurs Camp!

Okay, peeps.

GOODNESS.

I'm a broken record when I start every post with:

1) an apology for radio silence, and,

2) excuses about our busyness.

Not only is it getting OLD (ha), but I'm pretty sure I have precisely three peeps (*waves at grandparents) who even follow this here blog anymore, and probably only sporadically, thanks to my now-intermittent posting. 

So....let's just do away with the excuses and start diving right into the posts since, in the end, this is really just a diary of my kiddos' collective childhood and an occasional way to work through whatever mental state I'm in. So I'm basically just apologizing to myself and my kids (who are the cause of the busyness) if and when they ever go back and read these posts, ha).

Now, LET'S DO THIS.

So...

Little Man participated in a Spurs Basketball camp last summer, thanks to one of his buddies who'd attended before and really enjoyed.

https://delappenings.blogspot.com/2025/07/little-mans-spurs-camp.html

It was such a fantastic experience that Little Man jumped at the opportunity to attend again over Spring Break when we decided not to travel. 

All that to say: this summer's round was his third at this particular camp (run by the Spurs organization), and he was ALL IN.

But...Little Man's best buddy (who originally keyed him in to this camp), just moved (so, so devastating), so Little Man had to go it alone this year, and I could tell it affected him from the get-go.

Not only was he so incredibly bummed to go it alone without his friend, Little Man was placed on a team for the camp with a bunch of novice players and he was having a hard time for the first day or so finding his joy and his footing when he was ready to play more competitively.

Then things got worse--UGH--and he pulled a hamstring and had to sit out for a two days. 

Honestly, at that point, I was like: great. Money down the drain. A happy camp that might now have a negative association. And poor Little Man, all disappointed when he'd been looking forward to this summer round for months!

But God pulled through for us, big time, and turned a negative situation into the most positive one!

While Little Man was out with this hamstring situation, his coach had to move a player from another team, to help boost their overall level of play.

So when Little Man was finally able to return, he had a new teammate who was a great shooter (like Little Man, himself), and the coach greeted Little Man the morning of his return with:

Have you ever won a championship during one of your weeks at camp?

When Little Man told him he'd made it to the playoffs before but not won, the coach bent down, looked at him and said:

Well, today's your day.

Needless to say, it was JUST the boost Little Man needed to finish the week of camp so very strong and engaged!

He was ecstatic to have another dedicated teammate, they did, in fact, make it to the championships, and Little Man had a whole new level of energy about it.

But that's when the best part happened.

They lost the championship (I know, I know, you're thinking: that's the best??), and Little Man showed such incredible grace and sportsmanship throughout the entire game series and afterwards that the hubby texted me saying we should be the proudest of Little Man that we've ever been.

He supported teammates.

He offered encouragement.

He played through the flair-up of his injury.

And when they lost, he consoled his teammates and acted with grace toward the victorious team.

I mean, amidst a summer--and, let's be honest, a season of life--that feels quite hard, this was such an incredible BOOST to my Mama heart.

While I was representing Chica at a simultaneous camp and performance she was having (more on that in a subsequent post) the hubby took Little Man for a celebratory shopping round to express to him just how proud we were of his character and behavior--not of any potential championship win.

When they rolled home an hour or so later, Little Man was so proud to show off these special shoes (thanks to some NBA player collab that meant a lot to him, but zero to me, ha), and shirt.

It was a happy, HAPPY outcome, indeed.

Over and over, this summer, I'm learning this lesson of taking the wins whenever and however I can get them, and this was most definitely an incredibly win, on so many fronts!

Okay...more catch-up posts as I'm able!

Happy Monday, peeps!

Over and out.