That's What I Get for Thinking

Anyone who lives in the metro Atlanta area and has tried to register kids for various and sundry sporting events can totally relate to this blog. More than one fine, moral, upstanding citizen in the community has been known to loose their religion over trying to get Precious Cherub into sports... camp out for days ahead of time to get Precious Cherub into said sport. Youngest Child has decided she would like to attend 4-H camp this summer. She liked taking 4-H in her class, enjoyed the projects they did, she's an out-doors-y type person, so I encouraged this new challenge.

Nevermind the fact that 4-H camp just so happens to coincide with the week Oldest Child will be at church camp. That means, for all intent and purposes, I will be kid-free for one complete week, 5 whole days and 5 whole nights, totally guilt free because they are off having fun, not pawned off on some friend/relative so I could have a break. Because, you see, dear internets, the happiness of my children is my first priority. yeah, right!

So anyway, for a culminating project, she had to make a poster and give a 3-minute speech about her poster. She chose to do her presentation on making friendship bracelet. Because she has made approximately a million friendship bracelets before, I thought this was a great idea. Little did I know she would win first place in her class. No drama, hardly worth a post.

So tonight all the first place winners had a larger scale competition...like half the county fifth and sixth graders competed in various categories. We put little pressure on Youngest Child; we try to find her talent and nurture that. She wanted to do it, so we supported her. Keep in mind that I had about two or 58 other things planned on the agenda tonight because I didn't think this would take up the whole night. When we drove by the school and saw the completely full parking lot, I knew I was in for a long evening.

But, because her teacher assured me that those competing in the fair tonight could register first for camp, I was all over it...I'd hate for camp to be full before I had the chance to register her and my lovely, quiet week of bliss...'scuse me, I meant to say "my week of missing my children terribly"... would be ruined. So the first form they handed us was the pre-registration form for camp. SCORE! We could have left at that very moment and I would have considered it a successful encounter.

But she wanted to do her presentation, so we stayed. Now, keep in mind that her poster and presentation have been lying in the floor of my classroom since she brought it to me after the classroom competition about 3 weeks ago, so you can imagine how much she practiced. Refer to the above paragraph about not pressuring Youngest Child. But she and about 12 students presented in her category and then we all went back into the cafeteria for the results.

Now remember all we wanted out of the evening was the free pass to camp registration. Imagine our surprise (Youngest Child's included) when they called her name and announced she had won third place! In the craft division. You go, Youngest Child.

And as a reward for winning third place (and getting the free pass...) we now get to compete AGAIN with a LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE at the regional competition at Rock Eagle in February...oh, be still my beating heart!