Broadway Camp, hot weather, and 94th birthday party

As I said at the end of my last post, I picked up Sammy on my way home from our sibling weekend.  For a very special reason!  I think it was back in February or March that I noticed on Facebook that Centre County Parks and Recreation would be having a Broadway Camp in July.  Of course I thought of Sammy right away.  I called and found out that there was just one spot left in Sammy's age group!  I told Jenn about it and before I knew it she had him registered!   

The camp was held at Mt. Nittany Middle School each day from 9 to 3.  Of course, on Monday morning Sammy was feeling apprehensive, but I assured him that it was absolutely normal to feel like that before doing something completely new with people he didn't even know.  I stayed with him that morning until they called all the kids up to the stage to play a game, and I could see that he was already feeling comfortable.  When I picked him up at 3 he said he LOVED it and couldn't wait to go back the next day!  

Each morning I got him up at 7:30 for a wake-up shower and breakfast.  He loved that I had K-cups of hot chocolate.  He was sure the hot chocolate helped him to sing louder, hahaha!!  He carefully brushed his hair so it would look cool!  I took a picture of him each morning to send to his parents.  I think I missed Thursday morning, however.  

His age group (grades one, two, and three) worked on a medley of songs from the original Mary Poppins.  So on Monday evening we watched the movie.  He loved it so much.  I think his favorite part was at the end when they said that the old man banker had literally died laughing.  He just thought that was the funniest thing ever.

On Wednesday evening we made this fun video of the songs he was learning at camp.

We were having a heat wave, and thunderstorms kept us indoors Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  Finally on Thursday afternoon and evening there was nothing but sun and heat in the forecast, so we jumped at the chance to go with Lori and the boys to the DelGrosso water park near Altoona.  Anthony had left that day for the NAMM convention in Nashville.  Did we ever have boys!  Besides Sammy, Austin, and Hunter we had Davion who had been with them from NYC for two weeks, and Lori's nephew William, and another boy from church named William!   Lori is a very brave (crazy??) woman, hahaha!  

We had such a good time.  It felt SO GOOD to get wet because it was so unbearably hot and humid.  There was even a slight breeze.  Sammy and I got on inner tubes and went around the Lazy River two times.  Of course no pictures of that because I didn't want my phone to get wet.   Then Sammy discovered the water slides, and that was it.  He didn't want to do anything else till they closed at 7:00.   The first time he went with Austin and they carried the big tube up the steps together.  

Later he carried it up all by himself.  I couldn't believe it!

What goes up must come down!  

Friday was show day!  Sammy was SO excited!  It started at 2:30 and I got a front row seat.  I was SO impressed!!  Nineteen little kids singing with just a piano, doing the choreography, singing everything by memory - after just five days!!  He was really on a high after it was over and just couldn't get done talking about it!  No wonder!  It was AWESOME!!  

I was so very proud of him!

It was another very hot day.  We met Lori and the boys (just two boys this time - Davion had gone back home that morning) at Moe's Southwest Grill for dinner, then we all went to the pool for the evening.  I told Sammy that this was his "great job!" treat!

I don't know how I didn't get any pictures of anyone else, not even at the pool.  Guess I was just having a good time.  Once again the water felt so fantastic! 

On Saturday morning Sammy played a long time in our big tub.  I made a double portion of seven layer salad and vacuumed the house. After Dick got off work at noon and had gotten showered we left for another very special event - his dad's 94th birthday celebration!  Even though Sammy wouldn't be going along to that he was very excited about it and wanted to get him a card.  So we stopped on our way down to buy cards.  Here's the one he picked out, haha!  Inside it said "Happy Birthday to a true classic!"  

We dropped Sammy off with Sam right after he had gotten off work at 3:00, then drove another hour to Dad Stauffer's house near Manheim.   

All five sons were present, even Bob from Minnesota!  We were sad his wife Doris could not come along.  Arlene had made lasagna, I brought the salad, Carolyn brought garlic bread, Faye brought a delicious summer fruit salad, and Deb brought the home-made ice cream cake.  As always, lots of good stories and laughter and singing.  

We sang a few favorite hymns, then somehow the guys started reminiscing about the songs they used to listen to and sing when they were kids.  I wasn't ready to video when this one got started, but here's the rest of it. How Does a Cow Make Milk? It's FUNNY!

Arlene has been cleaning things out in preparation for their move to Pleasant View Retirement Home whenever there is an apartment available for them.  This time she had cleaned out the game and puzzle closet in the basement and wanted us to go down to see if we might want anything.  We did!  We got the Lincoln Logs and a few games - Waterworks, Rook, and Dutch Blitz.  I decided to take one last picture of this beloved basement where we had so many family dinners around that LONG table.  Also so many memories of lounging and rough housing on that long row of couches along the side.  

Of course Dick and I had to leave before everyone else because of the two-and-a-half hour drive home, but I made sure we got a picture of Dad and his boys.  Front: Fred and Steve; middle: Bob and Dick; back: Jim.  

We had another beautiful sunset on our way home that evening.  

I will have to find another time to blog before this weekend, because I gotta tell you about our fun Sunday and VBS this week.  But for now, I'm out of time!