Summer Classes and Camps

Trey kept busy this summer doing a variety of classes and summer camps.  We are lucky to be able to use Tualatin Hills Parks and Rec for most of our summer classes as they have a huge variety and are really affordable.  This summer Trey took a soccer class at Parks and Rec as well as a half day super hero camp and a science camp.  I didn't get any pictures of the camps, but he really enjoyed them.

First up was soccer class.  This started right when the summer started and Trey wasn't thrilled until he found out that Coach Brian was his teacher again.  He had Coach Brian last summer, and he loves him.  Brian is great with the kids, and Trey was at ease the second he saw him.  They worked on a variety of skills which I thought would be good since Trey is starting a soccer team with his school this fall.

Trey has been interested in karate for a while, so we finally got him signed up at Aim High Academy which is a stellar facility for kids.  Randy and I have been so impressed with them as they not only are teaching Trey ninja moves, but they teach about self-control, focus, respect, stranger danger, and empathy.   The kids can also earn "super stripes" by doing chores at home.  Trey is working on a few different chores and the reward of a super stripe for his belt is better than anything else we can offer at this point.

Trey has continued to take swimming lessons at Children of the Sea.  We have really liked this program, and Trey has generally done really well.  However, this summer we seem to have hit a plateau and Trey is not getting better with his skills and we are seeing a dive in his confidence.  I'm not sure what is going on, and it has been a little frustrating.  He has shed tears over it, talked about his fears, and told me, "It's too hard.  I want to quit."  To me, those are the magic words to NOT quit, but after a lot of discussion and a look at our fall schedule, we decided to take a break from swimming.  Trey will be doing karate and soccer, and three activities is just too much for a five year old, in my opinion.  Also, this would be Trey's fifth time in the same section, which tells me he is stuck for some reason.  Maybe working on some other activities for a while and then coming back to swimming will be good for him.

More karate pictures...the kids earned an obstacle course, so that is what they are doing on this day.

Getting his private lesson with Teacher Tom.

My "splurge" for the summer was to sign Trey up for an art camp at Oregon College of Art and Craft.  This camp was awesome, and Trey really liked it.  They did an "art walk" on the last day so parents could see what the kids had been doing.  We came home and made an art exhibit for Randy to see when he got home from work, and some of that art is currently on display in Trey's bedroom.

Trey just did his first belt test at karate last week.  He is now an orange belt, but I'm not sure if it is a real orange belt or a "Little Warrior" orange belt.  Regardless, he was excited.

We have started soccer practice for his fall team.  All of the kids are going into kindergarten at his new school, and it has been fun to meet some parents.  It will be interesting to see how Trey does because he is clearly the "least athletic" kid on the team and also may be the youngest.  Two of the boys just turned six, so they are more than a full year older than Trey.  We knew this would happen by not holding him out a year of kindergarten since he has a summer birthday, but we did not have enough good reasons to keep him out of kindergarten.  I know he will be the youngest when it comes to attention and focus skills, and athletic skills are already a weakness for him, so that will double ding him, but I think he will do well in other ways.  Stay tuned!