On Monday, I worked and the kids bickered. Then it rained. Not such a good day. But the day ended well: we made a list of things we wanted to do the rest of the week, then constructed a calendar where we added the appropriate requests at appropriate times for the next four days. Some fell by the wayside, for example "Go to Great Wolf Lodge....please please please can we?" Most of the rest made it on, although I decided we would not go to McDonald's AND Burger King, but rather just one of them. That's right, I'm no soft touch.
On Tuesday, we went to the pool. We hadn't been in a couple of weeks, and it felt like even longer, but it was nice. Attendance was low ("Dad! Can we get a picnic table?" OK. "YEAH!!!"), so we could have lots of fun with lots of room to play. We swam and tossed the ball around at our leisure, and Kate jumped off the edge and did her little steamboat swim, and Jack went down the slide. I think Kate grew an inch since we last went because she could now basically stand on her toes on the bottom of the pool with her head easily out of the water. At 3 p.m., we lined up for ice cream. By 3:15, it was clear no ice cream man was coming. So we went to the vending machines and were able to get the exact ice cream bars they normally chose anyway. It was kind of funny.
We hit the grocery store on the way home; there was a racecar-like cart available and they excitedly clambered into it. That's an appropriate word for Jack, who is clearly too big for such a cart these days; his legs and arms were kind of accordioned into it. We cruised around the supermarket and I tried not to bang his elbows too much. Sometimes they sang and yelled, and I had to tell them to keep it down...although I cut them some slack every now and then.
On Wednesday, we went to have lunch with Mommy at her office. Her coworkers oohed and aahed appropriately and the kids were dutifully polite if shy. Said how old they were, when they were going back to school, accepted praise of their hair and clothes and watches and whatnot. And gobbled down candy that seemed to be within ready access of most desks. And donuts! Ah, office life. Kids ate their barbecue lunches even though the hotdogs had specks of black on them, maybe their standards are easing somewhat.After lunch, we went to Bruce Park. This is a favorite because it's new and different, and I watched as Jack made a new friend and Kate recklessly climbed things I figured she'd be afraid of...kids surprise you. I pushed her on a swing and helped them both on a couple of things where kids sit and cheer and adults get a workout pushing and pulling on various pulley contraptions. Didn't need to go to the gym today, score!
Rested at home for a bit, then rode their bikes to Lyons Park.The fun parts were pushing them on the big donut swing and when they stopped to climb a tree. The less fun parts were when Kate, who couldn't ride as fast as Jack, yelled and cried after him as she pedaled furiously to catch up. And when I had to run after her yelling for her to stop. For half a block through our neighborhood. That wasn't so much fun. Kate, stop! I yelled. "It's my bike!" she yelled back. Hoo boy. When I caught up to her, stopped her, told her she couldn't ride her bike anymore if she didn't listen, she nodded seriously, lips pursed like she was about to cry, and then cried. Still just a little girl.
Today, Thursday, we went to the beach. It was high tide and we splashed in the water, threw a ball around, snapped the new profile picture of three of us. The sun was warm, the water was cool, and we sat in the sand and ate chips. And when we left we said, Goodbye, beach.
We blinked, and just like that, the summer was over. I can't wait for the next one.
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