Here and Gone

This summer was a bit different from those in the past. I was disappointed at the start of it in June. We had a few camps to participate in. We were still adhering to our sports schedules as they wrapped up for the season. It didn’t feel all that different from how busy we were during the school year.

I longed for a little escape. I wanted a way to pare things down. I yearned for my children to have an old fashioned summer.

You know the type. I’m sure you had them yourselves. I wanted them to discover nature and what it had to offer. I wanted their toes to touch sand and run through grass. I wanted them to fish and swim and enjoy lakes or oceans. I hoped for them to be active on bicycles and water skis. I wanted long, lazy days figuring out what came next. If we could do all that with almost abandoning technology, that would be great.

And so we did.

We had to leave our house and travel for over a month to do it. But, we made it all happen for ourselves and for them.

Our first trip was out east. We headed to Cape Cod for a little over two weeks. The children swam in the ocean and in pools. They ran on beaches with nets catching hermit crabs and discovering seashells.

We were out on the water discovering these beautiful creatures.

They ate seafood until they were about to bust. We saw a great Cape League baseball game (go Chatham A’s!) where you did not need a ticket to attend and a hat was passed for a small donation. All great stuff.

We returned home for 3 days and then my sister and I headed to the opposite coast and took all six children to California. There, we stayed for a few quick days at a family members beach house. Pretty cool experience to see both oceans in one month! But, the majority of our trip took place at a lake house in Lake Arrowhead. We rode in the boat all day long. The kids swam in the lake. All but the two youngest learned how to wake board.

They were so brave and willing to try. The adults had great conversations on the deck at night, which included lots of wine and no mosquitoes! The children had two weeks that were one big sleepover with their cousins. Does it get any better than that? I don’t think so.

I know escaping is not going to be possible every summer. And it makes me a little sad that I feel like I have to run away from our life in order to get things to settle down a little. However, I was actually looking forward to seeing people when we got back. I didn’t mind the activities as they started up or the calls for play dates quite as much. We needed to recharge. And any time that I can spend just enjoying my children being children is worth the time and effort.

They started school at the end of last week. So, while it was great to be away and while we packed a lifetime into one summer, it really made time fly by. We did not do the summer things we typically do at home. In a sense, it felt all the more fleeting. I guess when you are spending time with people you love, whether at home or away, you can never get enough. It escapes us before we are ready to let it go. Just their presence each day made me happy. And the ability for me to be present was worth every effort.

MIA

Yes, I'll admit it. I have been MIA this summer so far. I can't even believe that my last post was over a month ago.

I was looking forward to the lazy days of summer. So far, they've been anything but that.

In June, it was all about wrapping up school, soccer, baseball, softball and a few camps that the kids were in.

July has been my escape. OUR escape from it all.

We took a two week family road trip out east to Cape Cod. It was fantastic. Relaxing. It finally felt like summer. I had my children and my husband for two weeks with limited interruptions.

We've been home for a few days now and are set to leave again tomorrow for 10 days on the other coast. This time, my sister and I are taking the kids to California. We have relatives out there and they've never been. It should be a blast. This will be my first vacation with just myself and the kids. Keep your fingers crossed that I can make it parenting by myself for 10 WHOLE days! I'm both really excited and very nervous all at the same time.

I think this is what it's come down to these days. We have to leave our home in order to get a break. Sad, but true. When I come back, it will be August. There have been good and bad points from spending the summer traveling. With the good comes time and focus. You can really pair down and refocus on what is important. No play dates. No activities. No DS. Little TV.

Just kids being kids.

A net to pull up the wonders of the sea, such as hermit crabs and shells.

A boat to watch the seals from.

An ocean to discover.

Long walks.

Long talks.

My idea of bliss.

The downside to all of this is that we have yet to go on a family bike ride here at home. The sidewalk chalk and bubbles have gotten limited use thus far. And all of those summer crafts are still waiting to be worked on.

And that's fine by me. While I love my time during the summer at home with the kids, I'll take their full time and attention any day over it. I'm excited for them that they have these opportunities to see the world.

So, hope you are all enjoying your summer thus far! I won't be posting again until Aug 1st. Please forgive me and hang in here with me if you can. I, like most of you, have little people to attend to and time to grab. And for that, I don't want to be MIA.