We had our gymnastics evaluations today. I hope I did well!

He said

This weekend marked our very first trip out camping! Originally we had hoped that we would get the new trailer in time, but when the last one that Can-Am RV had in stock sold, we had to order ours which meant 4-6 weeks at best. We were resigned to the fact that we’d get one last trip out in Wolfie Too which did feel a lot less abrupt than just kissing her off for the new one. It also gave us a weekend to assess and pack up what was going to come forward with us in the new trailer.

The first trip of the season we always try to stay close to home since it takes us a trip or two to get back into the rhythm of camping in case we forget something or something goes wrong. We booked our favourite home-court campground Golden Pond RV for that reason. And with all that came up on this weekend it worked out even better that we were close to home. Emelia ended up having her photos for her dance class on Saturday and Sunday as well as her evaluations for gymnastics today too.

I had Wednesday through to Monday off work as I had some vacation days to use up. That gave me Wednesday afternoon to get the trailer de-winterized and then, after Danielle’s daycare day wrapped up, we were able to take the trailer out to Golden Pond, get it hooked up and ready for the next day when I would start our camping trip solo. With Emelia and Danielle having their regular weekly activities, I flew solo for Thursday night and during the day Friday. As soon as Emelia was home from school Friday and the daycare kids home, they made their way out to Golden Pond!

We anticipated the weather being cooler as it was the earliest we had ever been out camping, but it is the end of April so we were hopeful. But when the forecast dropped this week and suggested the possibility of light flurries, I was a little worried. The good news is we never did experience snow but, we certainly did get the high winds and colder weather also called for. As a result we spent a lot more time inside the trailer than we had hoped for. The winds were the real challenge of the weekend, as it made walks brisk, we had to pretty much keep the awning in all weekend and it made outdoor cooking a real challenge.

But in the end we were delighted to get so much time inside the trailer as our last trip. For two years it was a great trailer for us – the growing out of it happened a lot quicker than we ever anticipated. So to have a lot more time inside the trailer on our adieu trip made sense against the non-fun weather. We played cards at the dinette table in the slideout that we were so blown away to get in such a compact trailer. We had movie nights inside the trailer around the dinette and Emelia could happily watch from her bunk. And unlike the last trailer, we never really felt cramped for size.

There are reasons we are upgrading:

Yes, Emelia needs more space than the single over single bunks afford her;

Yes, Danielle & I would like to have our own space a little more closed off where neither of us has to climb over the other get out; and…

Yes, we want an outdoor kitchen. But, in the end this trip out was with a lot less of the claustrophobic frustration that we had in the Trillium (Wolfie) that led to Wolfie Too.

So, it was nice that this last trip happened and that it ended with us looking back fondly at the short time we had in Wolfie Too, but also being able to reflect on how much more camping we were able to do because of that trailer and thinking about how more that will grow in our next trailer. We ended the week the same way we started it, excited to think about how much happier campers we will be in short order.

She said

This week was sooooo busy! Just typing this all out will make me tired all over again – Monday Emelia had training and I had to get my car in for service. Tuesday was dance. Wednesday Emelia had her track and field day at school and then as soon as I wrapped up my day we were off to the RV dealership to pick it up from service and out to the trailer park to set the trailer up. Thursday was the school fundraiser bake sale and Emelia had an after school basketball tournament. Friday we went camping, Saturday was Emelia’s ballet pictures and dress rehearsal, Sunday was her lyrical pictures and dress rehearsal and finally tonight was her annual gymnastics team tryouts. See?Busy… it was busy—good busy, but busy nonetheless.

Emelia had a very successful week, she qualified for a few events for city finals for track and field, makes her mama proud as track was my big sport in grade school and high school. She came home very happy with her results. To add to the winning streak her team won the basketball tournament! She is just taking on any sport she can and just doing amazing at it all.

This weekend was shifted back to her first two loves of gymnastics and dance. Dance is is always a fun weekend when they have class photos because we finally get a real feel of how the girls will look in their costumes for the dance recital next month. Emelia just naturally takes to dance and it is so amazing to watch her with all the grace and beauty. It did mean that we were back and forth from the campground a number of times this weekend but it was worth it all to see how happy she was at photos and performing. She loves it so much that we are hoping to make it all work for next season and hopefully back doing acro which is really her first love at dance.

Tonight was shifting gears to gymnastics. This is Emelia’s absolute passion, the whole process of tryouts is stressful for sure. Each year Emelia’s gym requires the girls to do an extensive tryout process, assessing form, strength and some skills. This whole process is intimidating because the girls are assessed by age but not skill level. Emelia each year is assessed directly beside girls that train and compete 2-3 levels above her. This of course makes Emelia self-conscious about how she sizes up. We have told her and her coaches have told her she is not being compared to them but what she can do based on her skill level. She is hoping to score well but she always feels she didn’t do well. Now we wait—it is a LONG month to wait to see where she places for next year. Most of the parents and the gymnasts hate this process but know it is the only option.

Thankfully that was the week that was and we are behind the crazy busy week. Next week should move us back to a normal busy week. Emelia can get back to her regular training and we wait to see where she places for the season and waiting and seeing who qualifies for provincials championships in June. The waiting never seems to end.