deadlightsgirl | notes from the woods

Haven't been in touch because it has taken this long for the internet to get sorted. It has been very frustrating to have no communication and not be working...we came up a few days before the new session started, so while it was good to have the time to get situated plus get to go see Drowsy Chaperone (adorable), I have been antsy and looking forward to actually starting work. I will be teaching two stage combat classes and one yoga, and they have me scheduled for at least a day or two with the West Side boys. Also, it turns out Shadow wil be here this summer after all, so I will probably spend some time in the stable with her as well, and maybe teach a workshop or two if they want. I also have a couple of evening activities coming up that I will be involved in. It looks like it will turn out to be a fun and busy three weeks, and we get started tomorrow - oh, and it looks like my assistants for fight club will be a couple of boys whom I absolutely love. I'll let you know once it's definite.

Gracie loves it here. She is queen of the pool, and the weather has been mostly good enough for her to go every day. Today I gave K a day off and spent the day with her myself since I didn't have anything to do, and it was 90% awesome (tantrum right at the end of the day, I'l get to that). We spent some time at VA, and she actually did some art - played with some clay, drew a picture, and stayed out of wood shop. All good things. We went to gymnastics on our way down to the pool, and she ruled there as well, and the staff is lovely and accommodating. I have also been working it out with the heads of circus that they will get volunteers to meet us at rest hours so Gracie can do some circus activities on her own without the crowds and the overstimulation, which is the big problem with her going to a regular circus class. After a brief trip to town for ice cream and groceries I forgot to get on yesterday's trip, we walked into camp to visit the horses - she will ride this summer too, it's arranged. Hopefully she'll be in the horse show again (my boyfriend Aussie the big lummox of a horse is back - you remember him,

ladyjoust , the big comfy couch with the crap canter), she adds much cuteness.

After watching them feed the horses, we had some time to kill before dinner, so we went into the theatre close by where nothing was going on. I plugged in the electric piano for her and she played, then figured out how to make it play on its own, and then danced around a bunch. The trouble started when she wanted to start exploring nearby bunks. This is a thing she enjoys and it's fine, but she ran out of the one and disappeared into another before I could get out behind her to see where she'd gone. A lovely gymnastics counselor helped me track her down within three minutes, but they were a scarey three minutes. When I told her she was in trouble for running off and it was time to leave, she um, objected. Loudly and kickishly. The good news is that her tantrums are way less frequent, but when she gets into one of those situations where she is not only having fun but overstimulated and keyed up, she will go full throttle. I had to drag her out of the bunk so she could have her tantrum outside and on grass and be less disruptive, and she retaliated by clamping her teeth into my knee. Big bruise already. I got her to let go, scooped her up, got her back to her stroller with some assistance from nearby people I knew, strapped her in, and she was a pretty good girl in the dining room while I got food and ate it (quickly). We had WORDS on our way back home, and I'm pretty sure she knew how bad she'd been, and hopefully this won't happen again (or at least, not too often). I'm glad it happened to me and not to K.

Visits from cousins! Catch you later!