Five Seconds of Summer

I didn't write in here much this summer. The same reason I barely videotape anyone anymore. I'm too busy just doing it, to document it.

This morning we sent off Nathan, 5'9, to 10th grade, looking all tan and glorious from summer at the beach (when he wears navy he looks like a fireman). Emma left to start 8th grade in cute shorts and perfect hair and no make up (not her choice), hoping to find one friend this year that she will like. I walked Lilly to 3rd grade in the little yellow dress that she picked out and that she likes because it has a little sweater attached. I waved to her from the fence until she walked up the ramp and into Ms Schacker's class - a class none of the kids have ever been in before. A true ramp to adventure, this year.

And so it's quiet for the first time in two months, no one asking for anything, three people not around to manage and feed and meet their needs. Except oops, it's almost 1 and I have to go get Lilly now.

This is why I get nothing done. All this dream work, and hardly any time to do the actual dreaming, to make plans for the next step, to write the next word.

We did one last trek to the beach yesterday, our last free day even though it's only August and every human should be still having summer in August. We drove thru the farmland to Ventura and found the little beach we like, and we threw the ball for Becky, and we swam and surfed and at one point I had all four of us playing Frisbee, Lilly and I in the water, Nathan and Emma on the beach. Between Emma's tumbling skills, and Nathan limping because he had crashed surfing, and Lilly digging for sandcrabs and saying "This one is named Fred," but then there it was, Nathan and I were tossing the frisbee, and then Emma was and Lilly and for like two throws of the Frisbee, I had united us all, we were playing together, on this beautiful, sunny, watery, sandy dog filled summer day.


Last night Nathan told me, "Thanks for the summer, Mom."