Saying goodbye to summer

Some of our last days of summer were spent at the beach. I just could not let summer go by without some sand in my toes. In spite of my husband being too busy to take off for a traditional beach trip, I decided I wasn’t was too busy. And I booked a trip I thought I could handle solo with just the girls. In the end, it worked out where he joined us for half of our short four day trip.

It was fun. Too short. And the girls really missed the pristine beaches of the Florida gulf, where we usually go. But I proved that YES I could totally do a trip with just me and the girls. However, the girls really prefer having us all together – daddy included. Which I think is really sweet.

He is, BTW, the fun one who brings the surf board. 

I realized I’m the one perfectly happy sitting in the beach chair watching the little ones play with purple dump trucks in the sand. Loving their little bouncy ponytails and happy feet in the waves.

I love the next picture because it shows these sisters really DO love each other. Before summer the older two were acting very sassy towards each other. And it reminds me summer has magical powers of bonding families back together. I love that!

They are going to be in the same class next year. And I really hope them being together, will continue the bond they recreated this summer. At least until fall break. When I can force them to spend another week together.

I love that summer gives a child full-on freedom to discover, explore and stretch their imaginary minds with no boundaries or strict schedules to follow. I will miss lazy mornings that are a result of later bedtimes.

While at the beach my pre-school girl became a super fish. It was after dark, during a night swim, when she really found her fins.

She’s loved the water all summer, and for all the winter months she was taking swim lessons. But during this trip she really got it. She went from fearlessly dog paddling around the pool looking like she might drown any second. To full on swimming under water from – I kid you not – one end of the pool to the other in 4 feet water.

There was one night where her and her big sister stayed in the pool till 9:30. Until the little one finally declared, “lets go to bed now.”

Goodbye summer. I will miss sharing my late nights and lazy coffee mornings with these bright eyed girls, giving me a million kisses a day. And an endless supply of laughs with all their silly ways.

I’ll try and remember these bright summer smiles come school mornings at 7:50 when I’m trying not to sound like a drill sergeant getting everyone out the door on time. Sigh. I will miss you summer.