In fact, I don't have any stand-out memories from last summer, and that's a damn shame. As a teacher, I've made peace with the fact I will never be a millionaire, but I will have summers off, and I'm okay with that trade-off. And, if any of you even thinks or murmurs that teachers have it so easy and blah, blah, blah....check yo' self immediately, and I promise I won't make erroneous sweeping generalizations about your job or life either.
Okay, we're friends again.
Back to business. Thankfully, fortunately, and amazingly enough, this has been a wonderful summer, and I can't remember the last time I've said that in the recent past. And, get this: I've had a great summer as a lady person AND as a mom. Thanks to day camp, my ex-husband's weekends with our son, and my lovely mother, I was able to separate these two roles several times in July and August, and let me tell you, going on trips and to the beach without lugging a ton of CRAP, being able to SIT, READ, and SIP COCKTAILS (rather than chug them in between trying to stream Mickey Mouse Clubhouse at restaurants with crappy wireless connections) is just divine.
On the other hand, I also have many fantastic mom memories from these past two months. EJ just turned three and is now a big little boy. He is hilarious, snuggly, and fun, and we've had many special summer moments, ones that I was smart enough to stop and savor because I know the mommy-is-my-world phase doesn't last forever.
Here is a rundown of what I will remember that I did next summer:
Trips and dates with the beau: Nothing super exotic--Mexico, a hipster concert at Yale, NYC, and the Jersey Shore a few times (I swear it's nice, non-New Jerseyians!)--but they were fantastic just the same. Sunny days, lovely bed and breakfast establishments that weren't dripping in doilies, the beach, bike rides, walks, good food, cocktails, lounging around...I truly had a break from the minutia of my daily life and had me some fun. I even wore crop tops a few times and threw up in a parking lot just to keep the misguided youth part of me alive.
Girlfriend time: I had some nice jurl time here and there with lots of laughs and good conversation, be it sipping prosecco or mom power-walking through town with big sunglasses and arms at a ninety-degree angle. One of my favorite jurl nights was in Atlantic City at the Borgata and ended with me cleaning up at the $5 blackjack table. Winning that $70 was some pretty exciting gambling.
Alone time: I took hikes (I'm using that term loosely, think graveled paths through the woods at a zero elevation), enjoyed some silence, read books, blogs, and magazines (does Pinterest count too?), and I went through and then threw out, donated, and sold a lot of my stuff (thank you, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up!). For what it's worth, these simple little things that I did by and for myself made me feel lighter and happier.
Mom memories:
Amusement parks: As a parent in the summer, you know it's all about the theme parks, which are crazy expensive, oppressively hot, and awesome venues for some unique people watching (or rather, watching unique people). EJ and I were lucky to enough to visit Hershey Park and Disneyland and had a fantastic time at both. My favorite moment was snapping selfies on the race car ride as EJ steered and I had the pedal to the medal, hitting an extreme 7 mph. Good stuff. I'm also not too proud to admit that I almost yacked after the teacup ride. Is it me, or have those things gotten A LOT faster?
LA la la la la: We took a trip to visit my sister and brother-in-law in California for a few days. They live in Hollywood, and man, is that a chance for some extreme people watching (or rather, watching extreme people). Luckily, EJ was back to his old magic on the airplane, sitting quietly and sleeping, so the traveling part was super smooth. He also slept great, was well-behaved and fun, and gleefully soaked up the adoration from his aunt and uncle. Sure, he only ate shelled peanuts for dinner every night, but protein is good, right?
Pool and lake days: I live at the top of New Jersey, so unlike where I grew up on Long Island, the beaches are a bit of a trek. Therefore, it's all about the pools and lakes up here. EJ loved the water this summer and I made him wear ridiculous hats and swimming apparatus that he will mock me for later on in life. And lord help me, the one day I did take him to the beach....an hour-plus drive each way...he cried in horror every time a wave crashed or a lifeguard blew a whistle. Eesh. That was our one and only mother/son 2015 beach trip.
I think I've used six or seven variations of the word fantastic throughout this post, so I'm going to end now before I throw up in my mouth. I sound obnoxious. OF COURSE I had some sad or ho-hum days and things that I didn't do this summer. I guess I'm so mushy and gushy because three years ago at this time, I had a one-week old, a husband who lived three thousand miles away with his pregnant girlfriend (still feels weird/trashy to even type!), and an intense fear that my smiles would never be genuine again or that things were never going to get better. I'm thankful that they have and that I'm learning to enjoy and cherish the small stuff in life. I hope you made some fantastic memories this summer too.
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