Liking It

We took a bit of a leap and nudged N into doing a video camp, he came out a happy boy because he liked it a lot. Consequently, mom and dad are happy, as well. N will sometimes hedge a little about doing certain things, even if they seem fun or he knows they’re fun. Then, when he does it, he enjoys it, and wants to go back for more.

This seems to be the case with TV production, which personally, I would love to see our kids venture into. I guess they already are. N was thoughtful at first about doing it, not committing one way or another, when he finally agreed to give it a try. Truth be told, we were going to do everything we could to get him to attend, because sometimes you have to get a little Draconian when it comes to having fun, and fun is what he had.

All week the kids talked about their respective productions, and it worked out nicely because A was doing a volunteer internship, but wasn’t overseeing N’s group, so they were separated, but also together. Perfect. I could tell N was enjoying it because not only was he enthused about doing every day, but he talked about it. He doesn’t volunteer to be on stage or to perform, but when he does, he is good at it, and I’m not just saying that as a proud parent. Objectively speaking, he can really get into a character and present himself nicely. He is articulate, projects his voice, and is a natural performer. The teachers at clown camp said the same thing, and enjoyed having both A and N in the camp because they were such a positive presence. I heard this on a number of occasions from the teachers, and this year, when the kids decided not to do it, they contacted us and wondered if A and N were going to be there.

Either way, regardless of what I think, the important thing is that N enjoyed it. A is a given, she has fun no matter what she does, but we’re still searching for things that really speak to N. Sports are all covered, he’s a jock, but in the quest for balance and well-roundedness, we’re always looking for those special intellectual and cultural experiences.

At the end of the week, the kids presented their work, and again, N was excited about the day. He even had a chance to wear one of his ties, which he doesn’t get to do that often. The final day had a party, complete with pizza and treats, and we all got to sit and watch their movies. Now I realize I’m the biased parent here, but the kids really did a nice job on their films. They were clever and funny, and thoroughly enjoyable. Maybe it helped they were short and to the point. I thought everyone did a nice job, and of course, I especially enjoyed N’s projects, but don’t get me started.

It was nice to see friends attending, as well. JDB came to watch, as did HH and the girls A&I. Afterward they had a little award ceremony, and then we were free for the day. Of course the kids wanted to go get ice cream, so we headed over to Fore-U, and then it was time to go home and have something healthy for supper.

All in all, it was a really nice day, and best of all, the kids had fun doing something creative and cool. You can’t beat that.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Robert Warren for the pic.