1 Mother 2 Another

Maddie and Cora started a week-long
theatre camp yesterday at the performing arts school where I work,
and I think I may have created a two-headed monster. Or two
monsters. Or something.


The camp itself isn’t anything career-making; it’s 9 -1
every day, with some singing and dancing and acting, and a small
show on our stage at the end of the week. It’s four-year-olds
through eight-year-olds, so we’re not talking anything
incredibly complicated. My main reason for putting them into it was
really to give the girls a chance to have a week of structure and
getting up somewhat early before school gets started. Cora’s
never done school at all, and this week will be the most time
she’s ever had to concentrate in her life. Add to that things
like learning to get her own lunch in and out of a bag, and taking
care of her own potty needs, and I figured the camp would be a
great testing ground for Cora before pre-k.


I forgot how much the girls just like to perform.

Maddie’s in her element. She’s
one of the older girls, she has a friend from school in the camp
with her, and she’s on familiar ground: when I don’t
have a sitter I will bring the girls to the theatre school with me
and they’ll roam the halls dressing up and putting on their
own shows, so both girls are well acquainted with the space and
stage. Cora has a friend her age there as well – a fellow
dance teacher’s daughter – and walked away from me
Monday morning without a backwards glance. Yikes.


Both girls spent much of Monday afternoon organizing their own
show, and the rehearsal began with Maddie briskly clapping her
hands together as she strode into the living room shouting,
“People, people! All actors onstage for rehearsal, please!
Thank you!” The two girls debated dance moves and story plots
for quite a while, happily immersed in the world they were
creating.


And that was just Monday.


I’m glad they’re having a great time, but I do have a
TEENSY worry that this might get out of hand. We’ll see on
Friday: the week-long camp culminates in a show Friday afternoon.
So if you’re available and in North Texas then, feel free to
stop on by and check out the show.


My kids will be the two hogging the spotlight.