March-ing into summer

Ah, March, the month in which spring arrives and our clocks are moved forward by one hour, providing us with that extra daylight at the end of our busy days. Don't you just love it? I do.

But March is also the time to look forward – because although it welcomes spring, it’s also the month to plan for summer.

In my case that means figuring out what the kiddos are going to do all summer long. And basically there’s a one-word answer: camps. Lots of camps.

When I first went back to work fulltime I felt exceedingly guilty about shipping my oldest daughter off to seemingly endless day camps. One week here, one week there, the next somewhere else. I worried there was not enough consistency, that she’d struggle to make new friends each week, that she’d misplace her lunch, or get sunburned, or sick, or lost.

But I was wrong. She loves camps (and has never once been lost, at least that I know of). In fact, she’s asked to go back to almost every camp she’s attended, so much so, that we can’t fit them all in the schedule.

But I ask you, who wouldn’t like to pick from this (very partial) lineup:

• Multisport camp at the Mission Bay aquatic Center (think a wakeboarding, tubing, surfing, kayaking, sailing rotation)
• Sea World (a whole week of behind-the-scenes looks at the animal attractions, rides, etc.)
• San Diego Zoo (ditto)
• San Diego Junior Theater (the oldest continuing children’s theater in the United States, where they have a specific teacher for voice, dance, and theater each day)
• Metro Dance camp (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, hula, and cheer)
• Girl Scouts camp (located on a ten-acre site in the northwest corner of Balboa Park, surrounded by trees and grass, where they sing songs and get all kumbaya)
• Claytime Ceramics (where daily inside arts activities are balanced with walks to the tide pools and beach)

I ask you, are these kids not downright spolied?

I just hope they don't get too spoiled for sleepover camp...