One week down, ten more to go

So we've gotten one week of band camp under out belts at the one high school I'm working with this season. Ahhhh, yes, band camp. No, it's not like "American Pie" band camp, it's more like marching on a football field for five hours a day, teaching routines (I'm guard director) and yelling from the top of a shaky scaffolding.

Oh yeah, and it's been pretty freaking hot too.

Needless to say, I've developed quite a tan (read as: the freckles have connected) under my SPF 50 sunscreen. I've also picked up quite a few bug bites to match. This year's group is, for the most part, a pretty great bunch of kids. As can be expected when you're working with a bunch of teenagers, there's been a bit of drama, although this year it's been kept at a minimum for the most part. A majority has been revolving around a freshman who didn't show up for any of the preseason meetings or practices...and can't seem to grasp the concept of how to do the most basic work because of it. The other drama involved another freshman, who showed up the FOURTH day of bandcamp. Yeah, FOURTH. We had already started learning a majority of the show by this point, and she just couldn't understand why she wasn't going to be used in the show at that point. DUH! You show up this late and suddenly expect to be thrown right in to the mix?

Her reason for not being there before Thursday?

She forgot. Nope, sorry, not going to wash. This second girl was on the mailing lists and had received all of the information the other girls had since May. I wanted to look her in the eye and say "Sweetie, you're in High School now, time to start acting like you are and take some responsibility for your actions."

Of course, that's not how it goes. These kids are so over protected and babied by their parents, they have no concept of how to do things on their own. As soon as something goes wrong, they going running to mommy and daddy. Case in point, the second girl. She showed up yesterday morning with her mother in tow, wanting to know why her daughter wasn't going to be used in the first number. Bear in mind, there are 3 numbers in a show and we had planned to use her in the other two. I explained the situation (we already had the 16 we needed on the field, we would use her in other numbers, blah, blah, blah), thought they were o.k. with it and left it at that.

Guess they didn't like my answer because they didn't come back after our conversation. The other girl? The one who wasn't getting it? She didn't show up yesterday at all. No phone call to tell us she wouldn't be there. No email. Nothing. Frankly, I hope she doesn't come back. Actually, I hope neither of them come back. I know that sounds mean but that's where I am right now. There are other girls, new to this kind of thing who act like they not only WANT to be there, but are trying to learn as we go along.

So that's where we stand. I'm using today and tomorrow to rest and relax a little before we head into next week, when both band camps will be in full swing. The weather here is perfect, sun is shining, it's cooled off enough to open the windows and I think I may take advantage of it by heading out to my favorite spot for a little me time.