Becoming family on lazy summer days

The days of "kicking it" for me are dwindling.....

Tomorrow is the first day back to school for us teachers, so an end of a season for us King girls.


Yesterday was Molly's first day at Miss Diana's. I didn't have to but chose to go to school for a while, and used this day as a "dry run." We took the girls there and I dropped off a box of Molly's stuff for her daily care there and tried to give Diana some directions. But I know that they will figure it out, and Anna Cate can give some great tips, too -- solicited or not.

This wasn't the type Mom I thought I'd be: dropping my baby off for the day, but it is the Mom I am, so I celebrate what I can and that is that Anna Cate LOVES being there and Diana seems to really love babies in general, and Molly in particular so far, so I feel good about it. And I will get all the details I need from Molly's day in Anna Cate's stories.

Anna Cate was overjoyed to show off her baby sister to the other kids there yesterday. So tomorrow will be easier.  I could get all sappy and think about summer and how it is coming to an end, but I'm just not going to "go there" tonight.  I'm so thankful to have had these months home with my girls.  We became more of a family this summer, as I figured out the way to care for 2 girls, although it still kicks my tail many days.  

Going back to work isn't leaving them, really...I'm still the mom and we will find lots of other ways to connect and to settle into a new routine.  

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We've enjoyed a fabulous summer together and while I feel like the experiences have slipped through my hands like sand as I try to stop and soak in the joy that is my children's youth, I cling onto the memories for comfort.  So we make memories. 

We spent the day together like we have many summer days.  We went to the gym in the morning so Mommy can be healthy (and be a nice person since I'm much more amicable to be around when I've worked out). 

We made some delicious home-made smoothies with fresh ingredients from Saturday's farmer's market.  The sense of pride I feel about my daughter love for fruits and vegetables abounds!  I know it might be "luck of the draw" so I don't really take credit (and I may be eating my words as Molly may just eat cheese and crackers), but health is so very important to me and I'm so thankful that Anna Cate has good taste buds.

We plucked some figs from our tree out front.   I never had a fresh fig until we moved to this house and they are divine; no wonder they were delicacies for the Ancient Romans.  For Anna Cate, it is a process...look for the brown fruit, softly pinch it to see if it is soft enough to eat and then voila...DELICIOUS!

We went to the pool and packed lunch.  We are so lucky that the community pool is a short walk away.  We pack up the bags, schlep Molly into the stroller, and off we go. One time this summer, the bags on the back were so heavy, it tipped the stroller over with Molly strapped inside.I am thankful for the cushion that protected her as she tipped!

This summer,  I've learned a bit more how to parent these two darling girls and I've enjoyed sharing our time and our space as we make this place more of our home, create more bonds of our family, but mostly we've just relaxed and enjoyed being together.  

As I think on the everyday of our summer days of leisure, it makes me think about how we become family daily, a constant process; I am still doing it with my parents and my brother's family.  And while there won't be as much leisure, we'll still be creating this family and loving it simply because we love each other. I am absolutely charmed to be in my girls' presence and stand in awe of how competent BJ is. We are always growing, changing, experiencing new things and by doing so together, we are creating our family in all those big and small experiences.


Tonight, here are some everyday experiences from this summer I am reflecting upon rather than being full of dread about the end of summer.  I'm thinking about

--Figuring out how to get them to take a nap together so that I can spend some "quality" one-on-one time with Anna Cate as we snooze together

-Anna Cate cuddling with me after her naps,

-Making smoothies, cooking dinner together, eating fresh fruit and vegetables, going to the Farmer's Market (which won't stop since we go on Saturdays)

- Breakfast picnics on the deck, ice cream treats outside

-Watermelon on the front porch

-Making new friends at the pool and watching Anna Cate become a good swimmer

-Nursing Molly in bed early in the mornings, knowing I really didn't have to get up for a while, breathing her in

-play dates with friends

-long chats with Anna Cate, playing the guessing game
-answering the millions of "why" as I marvel at her grasp of concepts, language, love, and humor. 

After dinner, I was trying to have a contemplative moment with Anna Cate,  get some words of wisdom about our summer out of her. She said she'll remember my taking her to the pool.  When I asked her if she has any memories of Molly, she diverts the question but she says to me with her popsicle in her hand..."you don't have to worry about Molly, she's going to be with me."  I'm really happy that she used the pronoun "she" correctly, but touched beyond words with this sentiment.  Anna Cate is learning how to be a big sister.


~The family is one of nature's masterpieces.  ~George Santayana, The Life of Reason