This Summer

I remember how long summer sounded on that first day after school let out. Three whole months. Maybe not whole months, but days in portions of months, when there was no school or homework. Where you could spend endless amounts of time playing, hunting down the ice cream man, and staying up late. Infinite possibilities and endless amount of time to get it all accomplished. And then....

 

BAM!

 

It's August and your mom is dragging you out for back to school shopping and school supplies.

 

It still feels like that, 37 years later. I was excited for this summer. Annie would be big enough to do some big girl things, we would no longer be trapped indoors, and I felt like I had a good "to do" list of activities. I think I kept the mental list starting last summer when we would try things and they would be difficult due to one reason or another and I would think "this will be perfect next summer".

 

And they are. 

 

Rides at the fair.

More rides, and a little girl who is not afraid to ride them.

 

A child who is comfortable around water...

 

....sometimes a little too comfortable.

 

And cuteness abounds.

 

 

But then there's the pregnancy. The pregnancy that makes me think that maybe we should take a nap instead of going to the pool. Or maybe it's best to stay indoors and close to home because it's just easier.

 

But as any of you that have ever even heard mention of a toddler, nothing is ever easy. So when we were given the option of spending a week down with my parents at the beach, my initial thought was "no, that will be too hard." I would have to fly down with Annie by myself, and then Rick would come down a few days later. And it would be difficult and tiring and....you know how it goes.

 

But then the memory maker side of my brain kicks in. And I start realizing that this may be our last trip as a family of 3. And while it's not easy by any means, the business of traveling is about to get a bit trickier. And the grandparents were offering to watch Annie during the day so I could get some work done until Rick got to town.

 

So we said yes. And we went. And the flight was not easy. But as it goes with toddlers, it was an adventure and a few tears were shed (by all parties) and many pop-pops (lollipops) were consumed (again, by both parties) and eventually you get to where you are going. And you manage to have some fun along the way.

 

And then you are there and you forget how hard it was....



Because it's perfect.

 

And you get to eat push pops at 9 in the morning while feeding fish off the dock.

 

And eat more pop pops and run on the beach.

 

And learn to love the ocean as her mom and dad and aunts and uncles and cousins did before her.

 

And eat more pop pops.

 

Did I mention the pop pops?

 

And then you get home and it's still summer and there's still some time do to the hard, but so fun things....

like dressing up to play ball in the driveway at 7:00 in the morning,

And going the wrong way on a slide...

 

..and coloring in the drive with your big cousins who have endless patience.

 

I am already feeling nostalgic about this summer, this pregnancy, this stage where Annie is and our family is right now. Stepping over into the second half of the pregnancy and the last part of summer, I just have to keep reminding myself that the hardest things are always the ones with the greatest reward.