Marshmallow Mondays is back! I apologize for the long break, but I needed some time away from the blog to just enjoy summer with Rydan and Lily. Today’s post is to share all of the fun camps, classes and activities that they’ve participated in over the past two months.
Lily’s summer kicked off with a half day Frozen dance camp at her dance studio, The Lexington Dance Factory. This was five days of Frozen-themed games, crafts, stories, songs, and of course, dancing.
In addition to Frozen camp, Lily also did a summer hip hop class at her dance studio. She was super excited about finally being able to do a “coffee-grinder” by the end of the six-week session. If you don’t know what a “coffee-grinder” is, I’ll be glad to send you a video of Lily doing it. She’s quite proud of herself.
Though we didn’t plan any vacations this year due to numerous camps and summer activities, Rydan was able to enjoy a weekend at the lake with his good friend, Carson. Check out that catch!
While Rydan was at the lake, we took Lily to a Lexington Legends game to redeem her free ticket from completing the library’s summer reading program. It had been awhile since we’d been to a ballpark, and this was the perfect evening for it. We had great seats, and the weather was beautiful.
It has been one HOT summer in Kentucky, so we also enjoyed a few days at the pool to cool off. Lexington has quite a few public pools, so it’s fun to try a different one every time we go.
In the middle of July, Rydan went to a four-night camp called Christ In Youth at Wesleyan University with our church. This was four days of worship, games, activities and all sorts of fun. Students stayed in dorms and got a small taste of life on campus. Rydan came home smiling with a hoarse voice because he “worshipped so loudly so many times every day,” and he had lots of awesome things to say about the experience he had at Christ In Youth.
While Rydan was at camp, we visited some of our favorite places, like the Kentucky Children’s Garden, Evan’s Orchard, the Kentucky Horse Park and the Brighton Trail.
One afternoon, after listening to Rydan and Lily whine about how bored and hot they were, we got in the car and went to Cut & Paste Craft Studio. We each chose a wooden piece and spent a few hours painting together and cooling off.
At the end of July, Rydan celebrated his 12th birthday with a few friends at Skyzone. This was the first time we’d done a party anywhere other than our house. It was a big success and so much fun.
Last week, Lily ended her summer with a second round of dance camp. This time, she chose Hip Hop Hula. It’s really amazing to see how far she has come since she first started dancing at three years old. This year, she decided to audition for the competition team at her dance studio. I’m proud to say that she will be a member of the “Pearls,” the youngest competition team at The Lexington Dance Factory. She is super excited and looking forward to embarking on a new journey. She’ll be learning new styles of dance, performing with The Ballet Academy in The Nutcracker, learning two competition numbers, which the team will perform at one local and two regional competitions, as well as in the spring recital. There are sure to be lots of dance posts on our blog, so stay tuned!
Rydan also participated in a summer lacrosse league with various lacrosse players throughout Lexington, including some from his middle school team. These were held on Wednesday evenings, so it was always super hot, but Rydan powered through and learned more about the sport. He’s had to juggle both lacrosse and Taekwondo over the summer, along with his Sunday evening youth group, but he’s learned a great deal about commitments, balance and how to best manage his time.
After all that, it’s now time to go back to school. On Wednesday, Lily will go back to Athens-Chilesburg Elementary as a big first grader, and Rydan will go back to Edythe J. Hayes as a big seventh grader. One might be slightly more excited about returning to school than the other. It’s sure to be another busy year with these two!
Filed under: The Buffington Southern Experience | Tags: Lexington Dance Factory, Mermaid Dance Camp, Summertime, WinShape Camp
It was a fun camp-filled week for Rydan and Lily!
Rydan went to Winshape Camp for the third year in a row. I truly cannot say enough about how much we love this camp. Rydan always has an awesome time at Winshape, which is an adventure-filled Christian camp that provides campers with an unforgettable experience. Rydan’s activities throughout the week included lacrosse, archery and secret ops. This year’s theme was Hope In Troubletown, USA, where campers learned that “Hope sees God’s promises even in our troubles.”
For Lily, this was her first camp experience ever! She attended half-day Mermaid Dance Camp at The Lexington Dance Factory. On Day 1, she barely said goodbye to me because she was that excited, and when I picked her up she couldn’t wait to show me her jellyfish craft and mermaid picture. 
Day 2 was no different. When I woke her at 8am, my sleeping mermaid sat up straight in bed, and said “Mommy, can I go back to Mermaid Camp now?” Her excitement never went away as the week progressed. She danced, made crafts, got her nails painted, decorated cookies, and had so much fun doing it all.
On the last day, parents were invited for a special performance by all of the mermaids. ADORABLE.
And now… we are counting down to our Florida vacation!
This summer was a busy one for Rydan. With a new sister on the way, birthday number 6, and days filled with friends and activities at his after school program, it’s safe to say that Rydan had a very memorable summer. Since today marks his first day back at school, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some of Rydan’s favorite summertime memories with the readers of Marshmallow Mondays.
Concentrating on his ladderball game.
Cooling off.
More ladderball - birthday style with Kaden.
Silliness at The Country Barn.
2 days before Lily's arrival.
Trying out the new swing.
Showing Lily the other new swing.
Comforting his little sister.
Marshmallow Mondays 