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.

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