School starts next week.
I'm feeling the bittersweet passage of time thinking about Asher going back to school as a 1st grader.
Summer felt like summer this year. We spent lazy days sleeping in, large chunks of mornings in pajamas, and generally did not have a lot on our "to do," "to go," or "to be" list.
That turned out to be good.
When Asher was born I made a rule that I needed to get out of the house at least once everyday. In part I didn't want to feel trapped by these four walls but I also like to be reminded that there are people and busyness going on out there somewhere.
This summer we regularly broke that rule. Maybe because leaving the house with three kids is more of a challenge than it was to leave a house with a baby in a carrier or because our window of time between waking up, lunchtime, and naptime is small. We learned to love to be here and the side bonus is that Asher and Amelie learned to play together.
They built forts, played with legos, initiated secret clubs, but the favorite game has become the one of battling Asa. Hmm... did I just admit to the world that my older children delight in stalking and attacking my sweet one year old? The truth is when they ask me to send Asa down to the basement to play, they aren't wanting to cuddle or play his favorite game of catch. When I peek down the stairs, I see Asher waving a sword above an oblivious toddler dancing and perfecting tae kwon do "hi-ya" shrieks. Amelie stands guard in the background holding her sword and ready to follow the moment Asher yells the signal to retreat.
They retreat back to the couch forts. These lie behind the barricade wall of toys they regularly reinforce to keep Asa from wandering into their portion of the basement.
Meanwhile my sweet Asa sits unfazed and happily goes about his business of throwing balls and generally exploring among the toys. Really he just giggles over the thrill of being in the middle of what the bigger kids are doing.
These battles have been the mainstay of our summer.
And so how did this nostalgic post about school starting turn into the one that reveals the battles in our basement?
Maybe this oddity that has become normal represents what I will miss about this summer. I will miss overhearing their interactions and the time they spend together. Watching them create the bonds and memories that make them brothers and sister gives me hope that their relationships will be the kind that support each other through life, just like those I cherish with my own sister and brother.
Play will change. With Asher back in school and Amelie the one dictating our play, we will return to her being the mommy and me being the sister who always carries the brother (Asa) around.
School starts next week and we will soon move on from this summer of homebodiness. The time has been good and the lazy days exactly as a summer should be.
I'm feeling the bittersweet passage of time thinking about Asher going back to school as a 1st grader.
Summer felt like summer this year. We spent lazy days sleeping in, large chunks of mornings in pajamas, and generally did not have a lot on our "to do," "to go," or "to be" list.
That turned out to be good.
When Asher was born I made a rule that I needed to get out of the house at least once everyday. In part I didn't want to feel trapped by these four walls but I also like to be reminded that there are people and busyness going on out there somewhere.
This summer we regularly broke that rule. Maybe because leaving the house with three kids is more of a challenge than it was to leave a house with a baby in a carrier or because our window of time between waking up, lunchtime, and naptime is small. We learned to love to be here and the side bonus is that Asher and Amelie learned to play together.
They built forts, played with legos, initiated secret clubs, but the favorite game has become the one of battling Asa. Hmm... did I just admit to the world that my older children delight in stalking and attacking my sweet one year old? The truth is when they ask me to send Asa down to the basement to play, they aren't wanting to cuddle or play his favorite game of catch. When I peek down the stairs, I see Asher waving a sword above an oblivious toddler dancing and perfecting tae kwon do "hi-ya" shrieks. Amelie stands guard in the background holding her sword and ready to follow the moment Asher yells the signal to retreat.
They retreat back to the couch forts. These lie behind the barricade wall of toys they regularly reinforce to keep Asa from wandering into their portion of the basement.
Meanwhile my sweet Asa sits unfazed and happily goes about his business of throwing balls and generally exploring among the toys. Really he just giggles over the thrill of being in the middle of what the bigger kids are doing.
These battles have been the mainstay of our summer.
And so how did this nostalgic post about school starting turn into the one that reveals the battles in our basement?
Maybe this oddity that has become normal represents what I will miss about this summer. I will miss overhearing their interactions and the time they spend together. Watching them create the bonds and memories that make them brothers and sister gives me hope that their relationships will be the kind that support each other through life, just like those I cherish with my own sister and brother.
Play will change. With Asher back in school and Amelie the one dictating our play, we will return to her being the mommy and me being the sister who always carries the brother (Asa) around.
School starts next week and we will soon move on from this summer of homebodiness. The time has been good and the lazy days exactly as a summer should be.
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