Well, I’ve officially decided I’m a much better parent in the fall than I am in the summertime. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the summer months and all that goes along with being outside and spending more time with family and friends. It’s just that summer is a bit intense without any sort of structure to hold it all together {i.e., school, preschool, etc.}. There’s heat, of course. And, there’s a lot of expectation for fun at all times. Not to mention, there are the occupational hazards that are associated with parenting in the summer. Do you know how dangerous it can be to inflate floaties in extreme heat? And, those super soaker toys have some serious force to them in the hands of irresponsible users. Not that I know any of those.
But, for all that is hot and hard about summer, I have to say it flies by when I look back at it from year to year.
Every summer since ’09 I have tried to take an informal picture of the girls just for the sake of comparison. The rate of change between those ten to twelve months each year blows my mind.
Summer 2009 ~ the year of the snarl
Summer 2010 ~ the year of the stripes
Summer 2011 ~ the year of the shivers
Summer 2012 ~ the year of the sailors
Upon closer inspection, I notice it was also the year of the smirk. We should have known then what was coming our way once this sailor became mobile.
Summer 2013 ~ the year of the sweat
Summer 2014 ~ the year of the sunbathing {even though it was 6 PM} …
… and serious conversations {about rocks}
The days are long… but the years are fleeting.
And, that is what I’ve got to keep in mind.
When I’m sweating. When I’m swearing. When they’re fighting. When they’re sharing.
Fall will come. But, there’s a lot of summering… and savoring…to be done between now and then.
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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