They're off to pre-kindergarten, first, and third grade. How long have I dreamt of the day when all my kids are in school and I have leisurely mornings at home? And now, here it is. I'm excited about the collective learning and growth we'll all experience this year.
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With two kiddos in elementary school, this summer's schedule was a big shift from years prior. When the kids were younger they still went to daycare on the days I worked so signing up for anything additional never made sense. This year they were home with me or our nanny so I signed them up for several camps, to try new things and have something stimulating to do. I put them in two at a time so they'd each have a little alone time at home. While this felt like a great idea, in theory, it ended up being quite stressful. Owen threw a fit about attending every camp he was in and picking up and dropping off all over town for three-hour camps was quite time-consuming. Furthermore, the one-on-one kid time at home turned into a whole thing with lots of expectations. It required constant attention and ended up being twice as much work as having all three. With the structured activities, we didn't have space in our schedule for our typical summer adventures, like spontaneous trips to the zoo, playdates with friends and checking things off our bucket list. Looking back, I do think the camps were good for them, but it's clear I was an amateur summer day camp mom. Next year I'll sign all the kids up for camp one week and keep them all home the next.
We traveled most weekends with a trip to the Cove every month, a week in Suncadia, a weekend in Langley, and two camping trips in Morton. We enjoyed them all but overcommitted. By August I was ready to be done packing for trips and cleaning up after them. The line between scheduling too much and not enough is so fine. This summer felt like the former. I'm not totally sure if we did more or if our stamina is low from the pandemic. As always, fall arrived with a much-needed welcome to slow down and re-establish a routine.
Owen's behavior this summer was tough and the kids seemed to fight more than ever. When trying to figure out what was making them so tense it occurred to me that this is the first year Hazel has joined in on the fighting/bickering, which made for more combinations of fights than we are accustomed to. Our summers are always full and Owen expected every single day was going to be amazing. While we certainly did a lot of fun things, it was not matching up to what he had in his mind. This caused him to have lots of outbursts. One thing I've learned over the years is that managing expectations is extremely important for children and adults alike. After I was able to identify this, I sat down with him and we made a list of what he thought summer was going to be like and what it was actually like. This provided him with necessary insight and by the end of the conversation he went through and crossed out everything negative he had written. That significantly helped with his attitude, but it wasn't a magic cure and remained a constant struggle.
Hazel turned 4 and we threw her a bouncy house party. Ty hosted a birthday celebration for me and we had a lovely time with friends in our backyard. I was on the fence as to whether or not I should have a party for a non-milestone birthday (do people have 36th birthday parties?!) but the 28th fell on a Saturday and we decided that after so much social isolation in the last year, there was no reason not to celebrate. My dad stayed with us twice, my mom made her usual visits and my Aunt Diane spent a weekend with us.
The Canterwood pool was open so we spent lots of afternoons there and discovered a new spot to Kayak during the heatwave. We got air conditioning (can I get a hallelujah?!), installed blinds in the kids' bedrooms, and organized the garage. We had a cozy camper sleepover and Ty and I did date nights monthly. Wes and Hazel continued with private swimming lessons.
Another summer full of adventures is in the books! A slightly too full schedule and bad attitudes made for some long days but in the end, the most important thing to us is building a family bond through time together, and we certainly lived out that value this summer.
My sweet Hazel Grace,
You are a silly, wild 4-year-old who continues to radiate life and love. Your fiery personality continues to grow along with your height. You live with gusto and are up for any adventure that awaits. You are extremely social and adore being with your besties-- Lizzie, Brady Mae and Hannah. You want to be a part of everything and love to make people laugh. You love doing projects, painting, drawing, reading and practicing school. Staying in hotels is one of your favorite things and you frequently inquire about when the next trip to one will be. Singing and dancing are popular pass times.
You give unlimited kissy huggies and are a big snuggle bug. You run super fast and I can see sports in your future. You learned to ski this year and took a ballet class. Being on stage for the recital was a real highlight. You're super engaged in swimming lessons and can almost swim independently. You've graduated from the balance bike to training wheels and love to ride. The pajama obsession hasn't faded. You've learned to pump yourself on the swings and look so peaceful closing your eyes and swinging away in the backyard. You play with Beau for hours on end and adore any animal you see. "I love you goats! I wish I could snuggle you and come in your cage!" Stuffies are your favorite toys.
Getting you to do daily tasks is almost always a struggle and many hours in the last year have been spent telling you to put on your shoes and buckle yourself into your car seat. Bedtime has morphed into you getting into bed around 8 and playing quietly until 9, 9:30 or even 10. You sleep in on occasion but are often up by 6:30. Somehow this routine provides adequate rest. After books we do your "prays" with a back scratch and listen to Baby's First Hymns on Alexa.
You vocabulary resembles an 8-year-old given that you've picked up all the slang from your brothers. Hearing your little voice reference Pokemon and Minecraft cracks me up every time. You move and talk alllll the time, speed and volume both high.
You are the perfect combination of tender and fierce. Equally willing to help others and stand up for yourself. You possess the same single minded determination that was used to describe me as a child and has served me well all my life. I love that as the youngest child and only girl you are tenderly adored but you don't fit the "princess" description people like ascribing. Dolls aren't really your thing and you will generally choose the blue hues over the pinks. Being the third born and having a summer birthday have matured you faster than I've anticipated at every stage. As a just turned 4-year-old you're starting Pre-Kindergarten and SO eager to be with your peers. There are no tears with drop offs. Stewarding your learning and growth continues to both amaze and challenge me.
You are deeply loved and treasured. I am eternally grateful for all that you are and the gift of being your mama. I pray that your 4th year is full of learning, loving and adventure. I pray that you'll always be rooted in love and grace.
xoxo,
Your loving mama
