It feels appropriate to write an end of summer post on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend. Even though the summer weather here will stretch on (and on, and on…but that’s another issue), Labor Day weekend feels perfectly transitional in saying see ya to summer and hello to the roller coaster plunge of a new school year.
Summer 2018 was filled with amazing adventures, quality times with friends and family, and long, slow days. “Long, slow days” can go either way with littles, and some days we won, and some days we…didn’t. Picture popsicle-smeared faces, the smell of freshly mown grass, hours upon hours in the pool–all the trappings of an Americana summer. We even managed to do some school stuff, memorize some Bible verses and learn some new chores. On the whole, it was easier and more enjoyable than summer 2017, and I can see some great things ahead. Though I’m also realizing that in parenting one never really “arrives” at a final destination–every stop or age has its own high points and challenges.
Summer highlights:
-Elliott went from a reluctant-to-put-his-face-in-the-water, needed-a-float-swimmer to a kid who is diving to the bottom of the pool. It was an amazing progression. Lillian also enjoyed the pool and especially swimming with her mermaid fin. Isobel was zero percent interested in swim lessons (in fact, every time we have seen the swim teacher since, she has clung to me like a spider monkey and screamed “NO SWIM LESSONS,”) but had a blast swimming around in her puddle jumper all summer.
-We took Lillian and Elliott to see one of their favorite babysitters star in “The Sound of Music” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Thomas and I both love to go to the theater so we are excited that our progeny so far also enjoys this.
-Elliott finally stopped using a paci at night and was rewarded with Hotel Transylvania 3 in the theater.
-Thanks to a neighbor friend, Lillian is really into dragons and spent the whole summer talking various people into playing dragons with her. She continues to love her stuffed animals and imaginative play. After having her at school all year, it was fun to have her home every day, especially now that she’s learned to sleep in (PLEASE TEACH YOUR SIBLINGS K THANKS).
–The Greatest Showman was the favorite movie of the summer; the Great British Bake-Off was our favorite family show; and the kids loved “Dragons: Race to the Edge”(L); “Wild Kratts” (E); and “Daniel Tiger” (IE).
-VBS and SMAAC camp constituted two great weeks at our church. The CDs have been going strong ever since.
-We went to Chick-fil-a A LOT. One opened near our church/my parents’ house in May and let’s just say it has been a popular destination for us.
-A quick roadtrip to NC with my mom in June for the baby shower of a dear college friend. So fun!
-A visit from some American friends from Scotland at the end of July was wonderful.
-My parents got a golf cart and the kids are obsessed with riding in it.
To temper the idyllic sound of all these things, though, I will also say there was more than one moment/afternoon/day where I felt completely overwhelmed by the challenges of parenting and wished for any number of things to be different. Lots of people told me things like “enjoy every minute of this summer! Your kids will never be this little again!” At times this was a wonderful encouragement to slow down and marvel at the ways they are growing up and to soak in their emerging personalities, and at other times, when bedtime felt like the end of a war of attrition, I wanted to say “THANK GOODNESS.” Oh, and there were definitely days when PBS Kids and Netflix unashamedly constituted our plan for the day.
I had a couple of revelations this summer. “Revelation” might be too grandiose; it might be more of a “doh!” instead.
- I am no longer a young mom. I think this has more to do with number of kids and their ages rather than mine but I’m not totally sure. This is mostly awesome in that I am more confident in who I am as a mom. Possibly two sides of the same coin, but I’m also a lot more confident that there’s a lot I don’t know and that parenting is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
- Parenting is really hard. I don’t like to think of myself as a quitter by nature; however, parenting has highlighted some major weaknesses and my constant desires for comfort and ease.
- Our families are really great and we would probably be quivering messes in the corner without them. They work hard to support our marriage by giving us time away and love our kiddos so well.
- I have wonderful friends that I am privileged to live alongside. Generous, kind, funny people.
Finally, two of our major summer highlights were trips with our families, both of which will be explained in future posts. I’m sure you’re all laughing now, since as a blogger I’m sure I have broken any semblance of trust.
Team Grooms 