What a good time to reflect. Summer vacation has come to an end and the first REAL school year is beginning.
We've had a lovely summer. I do feel a bit guilty that we didn't spend more time outdoors, but with the baby, it was a little hard. We did plant a small garden, which brought us out every once in a while. Once the lettuce went to seed, I become less enthusiastic, but I am still harvesting cherry tomatoes galore and waiting patiently for red peppers and broccoli.
I had hoped that this would be the summer that Silas learned to ride his bike without training wheels. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. When I asked Steve why he hadn't worked on that with him (we had decided it was his job), he said he is afraid to have Silas riding his bike because we live on a busy street. It's true. Thoughtless teenagers fly down our street, and our house is in a bit of a blind spot just on the other side of a slight curve - God forbid the disasters that could be imagined.
So what was so lovely about this summer? We kept to a regular schedule, mostly because we had to for Josiah's sake, but now that we are starting school, I realize that we really don't have to adjust that much. And Silas got to do lots of great activities. There were several weeks of Day Camp, Vacation Bible School, Gynastics (the theme was Super Hero Training!) and of course, there was that little surgery in the middle of it all (which Silas would proably NOT call lovely). We had a few lazy days, lots of playdates and afternoons with the sprinklers on. All and all, I'd say summer was pretty peachy.
And now, Silas is starting a new chapter: Kindergarten. He is going to have a great year. He is incredibly social and makes friends easily. He knows all of his letters and is even beginning to read - I LOVE this stage! Tonight, he was so excited that he said he wasn't going to be able to sleep, so we cuddled a bit and I told him stories about when I was in kindergarten. I can't wait for him to experience all this, but at the same time, I realize the preschool years are now over for him. The first day of kindergarten is a huge milestone, and I have a motto that all milestones must be bathed in tears. So I'm preparing to weep a bit tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be fine, but it's always good to pause when a chapter comes to an end, to be sure the lessons have been learned and that the horizon is clear for new adventures.
And new adventures await...
3 comments:
I was very excited for my beginning of school, too. I remember Mom dressed me early--she was also excited:)
I checked and re-checked my backpack to make sure.
I didn't feel strange at all merging with an array of kids, but Mom told me (many years later!) that she felt a loss.
Reflecting on your post, Ashleigh, I hope there's a day I could take care of Mom, organizing her play day, helping her to school. Maybe let her feel it's back.
"All milestones should be bathed in tears." That's great, Ashleigh! I should embrace that motto as my own, because I tend to fight off "teary" emotions at times when they're completely appropriate. (Probably a result of me being a big cryer as a kid and always being embarassed about it...but let's save the psycho-analysis for later...)
I'm glad that you were generally satisifed with your summer and that you and Silas are so excited about this next phase of life. Enjoy your time alone with the littlest one, too! :-)
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