First Day of School, and Beyond

Nearly a month later, I'm ready to give a back-to-school update!

The group picture says a lot: the cheerful, relaxed expert, the interested middle kid, the nervous kindergartner-to-be.

They did great on the bus, and great at school. I'm not going to say there haven't been some entertaining developments ...

Mary has discovered that she might like P.E. after all, has met a few new friends whom she really enjoys, and has a lovely teacher who seems to really like her ...

Caroline seems to have a few friends already -- something we often worry about for her -- and is learning all about the flag and begging for homework and informs me that school is really easy ...

Charlie has a best bud, a great rapport with the gym teacher, and has already been acknowledged by his teacher this way: "he really likes to push the envelope." Hmmm, what makes her say that? Was it the way he blew through $30 of cafeteria money in 10 days, buying snacks and extras despite a full lunchbox, against the instructions of his loving parents, and when questioned by his teacher, informed her that his parents had said he can buy whatever he wants? Maybe. Was it the day he smuggled a flashlight to school and kept sneaking it to his desk and turning it on and flashing it at people and had to be told to put it away four different times? Perhaps. Is it the fact that he turns out to be the kid she quoted at Back-to-School Night as "one young man who refuses to write lowercase Es and tells me he shouldn't have to if he doesn't want to"? I'm sure that has something to do with it.

New Efforts

All three kiddos are leaping into fall activities with vigor and enthusiasm. Charlie announced that he wanted to take Tball, by jingo -- no fooling around with soccer or lacrosse for him. And boy does he seem to enjoy it, even if he's not impressed at the way Tball plays fast and loose with traditional baseball rules. (For those of you not initiated into the mysteries of Tball, by the way, it's sort of hilariously rigged: every kid gets five swings at the ball as it sits on the "T" -- even if you get tagged out you still get to run around the bases -- and every hitter gets to hit during the innings, which results int the last hitter basically hitting a mandated grand slam, so everyone on the bases can run home.) He tagged three people out his first game, and as first baseman was heard expostulating with the grown-up standing nearby over "why is this kid standing on the base still? I tagged him, so he's out, and is supposed to sit down. Why does he still get to be here?!" He also talked some trash as third baseman: "I'm going to tag you out. It is going to be SOO easy."We have had some talks about sportsmanship since then.

Below: Charlie's very first hit as first batter in his first game ever:

Next: tagging people out just like he promised. His smile suggests he's really enjoying the agony of their defeat.

Running for second like he means it. Which he does.

Guess who else is shaking things up?

Caroline's three riding lessons last year left her wanting more. She's funny. She doesn't really love grooming and she's nervous and hesitant about tacking up, but she's extremely comfortable leading a horse, mounting a horse, and riding a horse. I don't understand it, but I know that it is the only activity she wants to do, despite several other alluring possibilities.

Above, just a few photos from her first lesson -- once she was horseback, I snuck away, because I didn't want to distract her.

Last but not least, Mary is taking a more advanced ballet class this year, which she reports is hard -- but isn't asking to give up on yet. I'm proud of her. She spent a lot of the summer thinking and talking ballet. We'll see what happens.

And then there is, of course, soccer.

Mary had her first game today and wow, she played hard and well. She's on a new team this year, of generally less experienced players, and her years of playing stood out sharply today. She hung in like a champ at every position on the field and as goalie, didn't let a single of several attempts on goal succeed.

And last of all...

Birthday Girl
Mary turned tween on us this August, busting up to double digits with grace and poise.

Well, mostly ...

Little one: I love you so much. I've loved you since the moment I set eyes on you, and before. You're not such a little one these days, but the way I feel about you has only gotten stronger. I am so proud of you for the determination and courage with which you face life, and I am so sorry I can't wave my wand and make the things that are hard for you easier. If you read these words in another ten, twenty, fifty years, I hope you know all this without needing to be told.

Every time Mary has a birthday, I wonder about her birth parents. I can't help but think that at this time each year, they are also thinking about her, and wondering. I wish I could send them a message to tell them that their little girl is whole and healthy, safe and smart, charming and funny, beautiful and absolutely beloved. That might still be heartbreaking for them to hear -- but when I imagine myself in their situation, I can picture myself praying for exactly those things. Peace be with them.

The Last Days of Summer

So, here we are a week into the new school year and I still have catch up to do for all of August! Where to start, where to start ...

Shall I start with my trip to Boston, with Tim?

Boston
We trotted all over Beantown like good little tourists, walking the Freedom Trail, eating oysters at Neptune Oysters and cannoli from Mike's Pastry. We peeked at the Green Monster from the bar built right into Fenway Park. We rode bikes to Harvard and back. We walked along the Charles. We took the train out to Salem and Gloucester and went whale watching, which was pretty amazing, considering basically we motored out for an hour or two, watched whales for an hour, then motored back. We even watched the State Senate passing bills for a little while one night.

Boating

And then it was time for our annual Sailing Camp Excursion except that this year, guess who was old enough to participate (along with Mary, Cousin Mary, and Cousin Ike)?

That's right, these guys:

Finally old enough to know a gooseneck from a gaff rig! While they didn't get to fly solo (or at least teacher-free) quite the way Mary, Ike, and Mary did so often,

they did get some boaty time of their own.

Plus, there were extracurricular activities.

And there is always, always, tubing. This year we got a new, wider, flatter tube. It can hold everyone for a little while (but it tends to submerge)  

or thrill two or three riders spectacularly.

 Above, a classic Ike-on-tube look. Below, my favorite Ike sequence from this summer.

The girls were a bit more sedate:

And more sedate still:

But then there was this moment:

And of course this one:

It's awful the way they're all crippled with low self-confidence, isn't it?

And speaking of confidence, guess who got up on skis and stayed up for the first time ever? 

Yep, Rosey, that's who. She rocked it. That's hard to learn when you're grown-up!

Then there was the unicorn.

Meeting a real live unicorn wasn't enough -- we also took a lot of pictures of everyone just being together and roaming around this beautiful property on the shores of the West River. 

The next day we made for St. Michaels, a charming little town across the Bay where we've been motoring and sailing since I was teensy. All the kids came on the motorboat with me. So much silliness. 

And then ... we went home. More on what awaited us at home in my next post. Which will be in the next day or so! Because I have to get out from under this mountain of bloggy obligation -- ob-blog-gation? -- and back to more regular posting. 

However, before then I must say a word about

Dad

Dad fell down his own very steep stairs in the middle of the night early on the morning of my birthday, which meant instead of partying with him on the boat, as was meant to be, we had to do some very modest visiting with him in the hospital. 

While it was ... interesting, to be back in the hospital where I was born on my very own birthday, I can easily say I'd have preferred to just meet up with Dad at the boat yard.

The bad news: he got pretty beaten up. Black eyes, cuts and bruises, concussion, and a (torn?) rotator cuff that needs surgery.

Good news: despite lots of medical followups and having had to go in and out of the hospital a second time because his brain and his Coumadin are not playing nicely together, he's still with us! And he got to join us halfway through the first week of sailing camp for lots of good times. 

So keep your fingers crossed for a further speedy recovery for my tough ol' dad. 

XO.