It feels as if we are ending one chapter of our summer. Today marked my last day of teaching summer school. I'm so glad I did it. It took a lot of work initially because I needed to make up most of what we would do, but once I began and got a feel for what our days would be like and what the kids most needed, it went really well. The kids needed a lot of one-on-one to complete most things, so it could be tiring, but it was wonderful to see them learning, growing in confidence, and excited about their new skills.
Also, Julia and Gray came home from their sleep away camp today. They both declared it the best year of camp ever. Gray was pleasantly surprised he can keep going through high school and Julia was a bit wistful that she'll have to move up to the older camp next year. They came home jabbering away about stories of counselors' testimonies and Gray's bets. Yes, we are in trouble because Gray continues to thrive on following through with whatever people dare him to do. Back in his early elementary years he was eating insects in car line and apparently at 14, he's not given that up. He ate a lightning bug at camp (declared it tasty, "kind of like a leaf", and ate another one in our driveway to demonstrate), licked a 4 foot stretch of sidewalk, and ate a corner of a bar of soap...each of these to achieve a different reward. It's benign now, but I worry more than a little about what he may one day do on a dare.
As for Allie, she had a remarkable week in that she finished up her very first summer day camp. She didn't know anyone, but made friends right away and had lots of stories about being silly with her new buddies. She did a lot of playing, swimming, and skating, and it was perfect timing so I could get through my last week of school. She also finished up her first round of swim lessons and will now willingly jump into the pool and put her head under. She'll learn to do some floating and swimming without assistance her next round of lessons. She recently passed Basic 3 level of figure skating and will start Basic 4 soon...which is the level that Julia was in last fall. Julia is now doing jumps and spins and is quite graceful, getting lots of compliments from her coaches. She is advancing quickly and absolutely loves learning new skills each month.
Joshua just finished his 4th week of 40+ hour work. He zonked out on the couch about 9 last night and I had trouble even waking him to go to bed. He says he likes his job and definitely is loving his bank account growing. He is so busy and still tries to get in practicing lacrosse and basketball and lifting weights.
Our next chapter will be marked by our big trip to Maine/Boston and I'm feeling ready for it! Bring on the packing! We've planned a whole lot of it, but now it's starting to feel a bit more real, especially now that I'm gathering things for Allie's birthday, as she will turn 6 in the middle of the trip. I have about a week on either end of the trip before I launch back into another school year and it feels very weird, but good to have a break.
Other happenings this past month...
Our dear friends the Bakers hosted a little girl for respite care for about 10 days and we got to share in the fun of showing this exuberant girl a good time in Hillsborough. There was a cookout, splash pad, zoo, play dates, and pizza in the park. She is a one-of-a-kind girl with such a contagious enthusiasm for everything. We loved getting to know her.
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