Why Does It Work This Way?

Holly turns 12 on April 19th.  That means this summer she gets to go to girls camp for the first time.

She’s been looking forward to this for a long, long time.  Especially since Andi’s been going for 3 years and I’ve run the zip line or been a chaperone for 4 years.  So Holly gets to hear all the stories and fun stuff.

This year will be almost like a family vacation.  I’ll be up there running the zip line and some of the other rope events.  Lauren will be up there as a stake leader (stake YW presidency).  Andi will be there.  And Holly will be there.

Poor little Sierra will be the only one left out  :-(

Now let’s jump to another part of Holly’s life…

2 years ago we pulled her from her dance studio and hired a private dance teacher to give Holly 1-on-1 lessons.

We did that because Holly wanted to try out for a bigger dance company and needed some additional disciplines to even try out (she had previously focused exclusively on hip hop and breaking).

So, after a year of private lessons to round out her skill set, Holly tried out for the dance company she wanted to join.  And she was accepted.

So now she’s spent months practicing and taking what essentially amounts to a part-time job’s worth of lessons each week to get ready for various competitions and recitals.

Last week her company went and bought their costumes.

Today we were to find out when her big recital is (at the Orpheum Theatre).

And of all the days it could be, the 3 days of the recital (1 dress rehearsal, 2 performances) are the exact days of girls camp.

So what do we do?  Holly is totally confused.  1 minute she wants to dance… the next she wants to go to girls camp.

I hate to see her miss her first year at camp.

And I would hate to see her miss her first company recital that she has put so much of her time (and my money) into.

Why do schedules always seem to work this way?

Other than a trip to Hawaii a few weeks later, her summer schedule is wide open.

As it stands right now I think I’m going to be shuttling Holly back and forth between camp and home.  Hopefully she’ll be able to get the camp experience… while “commuting” back home for recitals each day.

It’s about a 2 hour drive each way.  So it’s not completely ridiculous.  But I wish she could have the time to just enjoy both moments.

Any better ideas?