Ah, summertime
Are your kids bored stiff yet? Or driving you bonkers? In the last issue, the Beeper asked MCG parents how their children are spending the summer. Grandparents and camps are very popular options. Kimberly Garrett in Academic Admissions says her daughter, Taylor, gets spoiled rotten hanging out with the grandparents, when she’s not at Girl Scout Camp (which she earned by selling lots of cookies!), church camp and the MCG Wellness Center’s Active Bones Kids Camp. When she’s not with her grandparents, Ophelia Wright’s 15-year-old daughter, Saucony, does a good turn volunteering at the Wellness Center and at University Hospital while her mom toils away at Student Housing. Over at ITSS, Charlotte Sherman reports that her kids’ schedules include gymnastic and tennis camps, swimming lessons and Bible school. Janet Hopkins in Decision Support has an 11-year-old, Keith, who plans to play a lot of baseball this summer, in-between visits with his grandparents and time at Active Bones Camp. Other kids staying close to their parents include Victoria and Myles White, the 8- and 4-year old children of Stephanie White, a graduate student in the Department of Surgery, who are enrolled in the Eager Achievers and Juniors programs at the MCG Childcare Center. Mike Hamilton in ITSS says his son, Daniel, will spend the summer mowing grass, helping with vacation Bible school, playing Xbox, and learning to drive (watch out!) while his daughter, Liana, sleeps until noon before going to gymnastics class. They also plan a whitewater rafting trip. University Advancement’s Sandy Morgan tells us her daughter Amber spends her mornings in camp beefing up academic skills in preparation for third grade (and an Ivy League college?) while afternoons are spent learning fun artistic and culturally enriching activities. Golf camp and fishing are keeping Susan Khaksarfard’s sons, Kameron and Kevan, busy (but they throw back all fish they catch). Susan works in the office of the VP for Finance, and says they have a trip to Myrtle Beach planned as well. Chris Peavler in ITSS and his wife took their boys, Mitchell and Tillman, to St. Thomas and St. John’s as soon as school let out; they’ll spend the rest of the summer doing the usual – movies, games, fishing and, of course, enjoying time with Grandma and Grandpa. Heather Metress in the registrar’s office has a 7-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who is spending her summer with someone special - Shannon Mann, her first-grade teacher, doing decidedly un-classroom-like activities such as swimming and going to the movies. Elizabeth will also attend basketball and cheerleading camps. Regina Messer in the School of Dentistry wins my prize (a free subscription to the Beeper) for being the busiest mom of the summer – her 6-year-old son Carston is playing baseball, taking swim lessons, going to vacation Bible school, attending soccer and basketball camps and the Aviation Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., plus, he will enjoy pit passes at the U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race in Indianapolis. Three-year-old sister Claire is taking it easy with swim lessons and a couple of ballet camps. As for my husband and me, we’re just now getting used to the idea of Thomas being away at Grandpa’s in Florida. It’s a new experience for all of us. Sure is quiet around our house. Wonder how my dad is holding up? Are there any fish left in the lake down there?
Thanks to everyone who responded and shared their kids’ plans with us. Have a safe and fun-filled summer!
- Sharron Walls, editor
The Beeper was wondering…..Many years ago I had the chance to go to New Zealand, a country I’ve always dreamed of visiting for an extended time. It has soaring mountains, intoxicating beaches, lush inlands, an exotic indigenous culture, and they speak English. Instead, I wound up in one of those why-does-this-place-even-have-a-name specks in the red clay of south Georgia. It turned out OK, though; eventually, the path led me here. How about you? Is there some place you’ve always wanted to go? Where and why? Share it with the Beeper. Send an e-mail to swalls@mcg.edu or drop a line to MCG Beeper, FI-1042. Who knows, we may get there yet. - Sharron |