We are both ready. I love the start of school, the new opportunities, the new plans and ideas, and all the new school supplies. Every day for the last couple of weeks Abby has either asked, "School today?" or told me, "I'm so excited for school to start!" As much as we are both ready for some structure and socializing, I am incredibly sad to see the summer come to an end. It was a wonderful summer - the best yet, in fact. So, I thought I would answer that age old question, the one teachers all over the country ask their students the first week of school - here's what we did on our summer vacation.
Swimming Lessons
I swear, Abby would spend the whole day in water if she could. In order to avoid my panic every time she approaches more than three inches of water, we thought it prudent to enroll her in some swimming lessons. So, two days a week Abby and I trotted down to the local Y where she had the opportunity to learn and practice the basics. I think the only time she didn't have a smile on her face was when the class had to "sit on the wall" and wait for their individual turns to swim.
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| She was always the happiest when she was in the water - a trait inherited from Daddy. |
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| We also got to spend time out at the lake this summer. It's a hard, but someone's got to do it! |
Shopping
This may sound silly, but we did a ton of grocery shopping this summer - and that is kind of a big deal. It was though our trips to the grocery store that I was able to see just how much Abby has grown and matured. Gone are the days when she would run off to steal someone else's grocery cart, or when I needed to maintain an iron grip on her at all times. Imagine my amazement when I could push the cart and she would obediently trail behind (granted she was about 3 feet behind because she was so distracted by everything, but she was there), and she would even help out by putting things in the cart.
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| We always had to take a ride on "Sandy" once a successful shopping trip was done. The incentive for good behavior was well worth the penny. |
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| Abby is convinced she is the one who magically makes the doors close after we leave a store. We always have to stop so she can close them 3 or 4 times - at least. |
The Cottage
It had been quite a while since we'd been up to the family cottage, and so when Daddy took some vacation time, we headed north. It took Abby a couple of days to settle into a new place, but when she did we all had a wonderful time. Boat rides, swimming, and playing outside made the cottage a veritable haven for Abby.
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| Abby has a standing invitation at the neighbor's swing set. Her squeals of delight could be heard across the lake, I'm sure. |
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| Happy girl. |
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| She couldn't wait to go swimming, and had to have a "doo-rag" just like Nana! |
Doctors Appointments
Well, you have to take the good with the bad, and we had both in this category. Let's start with the good. Abby had a follow up appointment with her diabetes doctor. He couldn't say enough about how well she is doing, in fact, he told us she had the best numbers of the day. I was so proud of all of us, and this kept me riding high for a while. We also had Abby's yearly check-up with the cardiologist. I have to admit I was dreading this one. They wanted to do an echo cardiogram, the one that is basically an ultrasound of your heart....the one that requires a dark room and holding still, neither of which are Abby's favorites. The last time they did one of these they had to knock her out. Thankfully the people at the children's hospital are wonderful and know just what to do to put a scared little girl at ease. Bless those doctors who had the patience to take Woody's EKG and Jesse's blood pressure. Because of them, Abby did fabulously, and came away with another wonderful report.
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| The patience of the doctors never cease to amaze me. This super doctor even took the time to find a cuff that would fit Jesse (sort of) and went through the whole process of taking her blood pressure. There's a reason he is the only one who has ever gotten Abby to do her blood pressure - and with a smile no less! |
Unfortunately, not everything was great in the health department this summer. Abby ended up with a nasty case of the flu (which she shared with me, wasn't that nice of her?), and we ended up in the emergency room. Luckily it was a short stay, and she recovered quickly. Even though that's the last place I wanted to be, I was once again impressed with Abby's bravery; she got her IV like a pro.
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| You can see by her eyes how dehydrated she is here. Even through it all, she could smile. What a trooper. |
Playing & Visiting
Since summers are a bit of a "working holiday" for teachers, Abby did a lot of playing, both with buddies and on her own, when Mom had to get some work done for the classes I am taking, or when I needed to get into my classroom to get stuff done.
We also had some friends and family over, as well as got to go to visit them. This was so good for our little social butterfly.
We also had some friends and family over, as well as got to go to visit them. This was so good for our little social butterfly.
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| If Mom was working....Abby needed to as well. |
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| There was always time for being a princess. |
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| She even gave some percussion lessons to this cutie. |
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| The little cowgirl isn't always happy, but thankfully those moments are few and far between. |
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| We got to meet Grandma's new doggie - Lilly! |
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| It took a bit, but eventually Abby was okay with her jumping up. I couldn't help but laugh that Abby can boss around an 80+ pound German Shepherd like nobody's business, but a 7 pound little dog would send her running and scrambling for the couch. |
So there it is in a nutshell - our wonderful summer. It will be greatly missed, but the memories are priceless!
