Tag Archives: Spin Cycle

Three Months of Summer

11 Friday Sep 2015

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As my bike bounced down the gravel road with beach cottages on each side, I felt like the ultimate tourist. With my huge sun hat on my head and a bag over my shoulder filled with a beach towel and a book, I had everything I needed. Well, almost everything. A basket in front of my bike filled with baguettes and cheese would have been nice. I parked my bike at the top of the stairway and made my way down the bluff to meet my family on the beach for another beautiful day full of sunshine and swimming.

Sunflower summer vacation

As school begins and fall approaches, I always feel as though summer flew by and it wasn’t nearly long enough. But when I look back at all the fun things we did, I realize that we packed a lot of activity into those three short months. In June, we celebrated Ed’s 50th birthday party with a big bash in our back yard. Swim team started for both Lily and Emmy. I helped lead Vacation Bible School at our church and taught one of the preschool groups. And we drove up to Madison, Wisconsin to see my sister’s painting and drawing exhibition in the student union at the University of Wisconsin.

Heather's exhibit

In July, Lily had her own artwork on display though a community outreach program in our school district. Several local businesses displayed various student artwork this summer, and Lily’s painting was on the wall at Dunkin’ Donuts. July is when we had our week at the beach, and we also celebrated Emmy’s 8th birthday!

Lily's artAugust was not quite as busy, and the girls and I took advantage of our lazy summer days by going to the pool, visiting Brookfield Zoo and Wagner Farm in Glenview. It was also the month of preparing for school. Both Lily and Emmy cleaned their rooms (which were disasters!) and I ordered each of them a small writing desk. They now have their own private space to do their homework!

How did you spend your summer vacation? Link up your summer posts here and be sure to visit all our Spinners!


NEXT WEEK: This prompt may be a stretch, but next week on Thursday is National Eat an Apple Day and Apple Dumpling Day. Saturday is Johnny Appleseed Day. So your prompt is APPLES. Share a recipe or a time you went apple picking. Perhaps your kids made an apple craft in school. Share it with us! Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Share some ways you try to stay healthy. Or make up your own way to write about this prompt!

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Celebrating firsts, whether I’m with her or not

28 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in family

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I’ve been there for most of my first daughter’s firsts. First tooth, first steps, first day of preschool, first time riding a bike without training wheels.

First day of preschool

First day of preschool

I listened to her read her first book, Olivia’s Opposites, I held her hand when the dentist pulled out her first loose teeth (they wouldn’t come out on their own!), and I held her hand as we walked to her first day of Kindergarten.

First day of Kindergarten

First day of Kindergarten

However, there are some firsts that I missed. When Lily slept in a big girl bed for the first time, I was in the hospital after giving birth to Emmy. My parents had brought my old twin bed and set it up for Lily, so that Emmy would have a crib to sleep in when we came home from the hospital. Lily’s first sleepover was away from home. Oh, how I missed having her in her twin bed in the room next to mine! And there have been other firsts that I have missed because she was in school and I was at work; first visits to plays and museums that she has done without me.

As Lily grows older, there will be many more firsts for her that I will miss. It will be bittersweet for me; I was sad to miss her first night in a big girl bed, but was also happy that my parents had helped with that transition when I came home with a newborn. Some of her firsts make me nervous; such as the first time she crossed the street alone. She came home safe and sound after that first. Lily will not want me with her for some future firsts; she will definitely not want me there the first time she kisses a boy.

Safety patrol

First day as Safety Patrol

When Lily went to the Museum of Science and Industry without me, she came home and talked nonstop about her first visit. I know that I won’t always be there for the many “firsts” to come, but Lily knows that I’ll always be there to listen to all her “firsts.”

This week on the Spin Cycle, your writing prompt is Firsts. First day of school? First date? First driving lesson? First job? Write about a “First” in your life. Link it up here!



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