School starts next week. Can you believe it? Seems like just last week we were cataloging all the summer’s opportunity. And now we’re staring down another school year. Which isn’t completely awful. Lots of good things are coming up. But summer went SO fast. We need to take a moment to grieve.
Emmett’s theater camp was a resounding success. He performed in Girl from the North County and Pirates! A Penzance Musical, and he was fabulous in both. He loved being among his people, and he loved the conservatory experience. He was crushed to leave, but he’s already thinking about returning next summer.
Riley’s dive camp in Italy had it’s ups and downs. He loved Sardinia. And he loved diving. Unfortunately, however, he burst blood vessels in each eye while snorkeling and by the time they’d healed, he’d already gone home. He saw Rome though. The colosseum and the forum. He swam in the waters off Palau. Not a bad trip. And for those of you worrying, he did finally complete his dive certification in Canada but more on that in a bit…
Asher was busy all summer building. Mostly Legos, but also other cardboard/aluminum foil/tape creations. He also made a small stash with his lemonade stand. Mostly, he took it easy, sleeping in and hanging out until camp started. But he loved camp. It was cooking camp, and it generated WAY more food than anyone anticipated. Each evening he brought home enough to feed a family of 5. And only 3 of us were home. We soldiered on and consumed as much of Asher’s creations as we could, but more than we’d like to admit ended up in the compost where it’ll contribute nicely to someone’s garden next year.
Tessa spent her summer mostly hanging out in her room, doing some volunteering at the hospital, and heading to Maine. Can you guess which was her favorite? While her trips to Maine leave her longing for the independence that comes with growing up, they also remind her that what she has at home isn’t too shabby. Still, she’d like to be closer to our family in Maine. (Wouldn’t we all, Tessa.)
Once the crew all returned home, we headed off to Vancouver Island for a week of outdoor relaxation. Victoria was beautiful. We loved the wharf, the history, and the flower culture. We saw humpbacks on a whale watching tour, we listened to spooky stories on a haunted history walking tour, and we learned about the history of Vancouver Island from a very knowledgable guide on a 2 hour tour. Then, we headed north. While Riley scuba dived, we hung out, saw a sand castle competition, and enjoyed both the forests and the beaches. Some of us continued hanging out while others mountain biked. Then we headed even farther north for the piece de resistance, a wildlife safari.
Departing from almost the most northern point on Vancouver Island, we spent the entire day on a boat in Kodiak Inlet, checking out the fauna in the Great Bear Rainforest. And it didn’t disappoint. We saw humpbacks, orca, black bears, and grizzlies. We got thisclose to the grizzlies. We were like 15 yards from a grazing mom and cub. It was fantastic. Then we had almost 6 hours to drive to get back to the airport and depart for home. But totally worth it.
Now we are (almost) back to the grind. Emmett’s preparing for an audition. He and Riley are back to volunteering at the museum and Tessa at the hospital. Asher – who turned 13 last week!! – is navigating the responsibilities that come with phone ownership. (Spoiler alert – it’s been bumpy.) And everyone’s getting ready for school to begin.
Riley’s got mountain biking, Tessa and Riley tech theater for the fall production, Emmett auditions for both fall and winter productions, and Asher is cruising into 8th grade. We’ll all (except for E) head to Maine for the fall family trip – this time Dad’s going to swap out time with Mom so they’re both there for a bit. And then, before you know it, it’s Riley’s birthday, and Halloween, and Thanksgiving, and Winter Break. Time, as they say.
We hope you enjoyed your summer. Tune back in for the fall roundup in October.
The Pigs.
Leave a Reply