As a teacher, I often get random emails from different organizations promoting field trip possibilities. A few weeks before school got out, an email from the San Joaquin River Stewardship program caught my eye- they had a link for a Paddlesport summer camp. I thought it sounded so cool, but I didn't think Grace would be open to it. Seeing how she took to the water during our trip to Maui, I finally brought it up to her. We actually gave her the option of doing a music camp with her friends, or trying out the paddlesport camp. She didn't even hesitate- we signed her up for the paddlesport camp.
What an awesome week she had! She learned how to kayak and stand-up paddle board. The kids also got to go swimming, fishing, did some art projects, and played group games. She was bummed out every day when we came to pick her up. She did so well that the instructors let her go on their weekly 8.5 mile river kayaking trip that is usually reserved for the older kids. She was able to kayak 5 miles on her own, but her instructor helped to tow her the remainder of the trip. We were so impressed that she was able to do even that much!
Thursday night was Family Night, and so Grace was able to bring her family to come learn how to paddle board and kayak. I sat on the bank and watched Grace, Jeremy, and Jason on the river. So fun!
Friday was "Olympics Day" at camp, and the kids got to play games that would use the new skills they learned all week. Grace won several ribbons for racing, and she was awarded "Camper of the Week." We were sad to see her camp week come to an end... It was such a wonderful experience for her, and we were excited to see her confidence continue to grow, and to see her love for these water sports. We will definitely sign her up again next summer!
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