This summer felt more “SUMMER” than any summer before. We went to the beach, we lounged by the pool, and really DID all the things, if you know what I mean. Maybe that’s why I’m so ready to barrel into fall. I actually decorated outside the house yesterday — mums, a Salem witch flag, scarecrows, pumpkins and all that. It’s only September 10th! I think the girls’ ages contributed to feeling like I came alive again this summer. Sharing the best of summer with the girls with no schedule to follow or places to be — it was bliss. We could finally do things without being overly tied to multiple naps or nursing and not having school to contend with was an unexpected perk. Both are old enough to entertain each other, too, so the notion of a beach trip with them on my own wasn’t crazy. The summer overall was a complete success.
We visited the girls’ grandparents’ beach cottage, we did a day trip to York for all the old favorites, we had a girls beach day at Duxbury Beach, hosted Brian’s brother Scott’s family for the local 4th of July parade — a favorite annual event in our town. We even finally did the town’s huge bicycle parade (we’ll go bigger on decor in the future), enjoyed the local library’s programs, “Construction Zone” in particular was a huge hit with both girls, had playdates with old friends and new, and enjoyed some art en plein air, during which Emilia covered her entire body in paint.
Brian and I enjoyed a luxurious 24-hour day trip away to Sturbridge, brilliantly scheduled the day BEFORE a good friend’s wedding so we could relax and lounge around and get ready for the event stress-free, and with minimal travel. (Possibly one of the highlights of the summer.) We dined on BBQ, lounged and drank wine and read magazines, and I took at least a thousand photos of the gardens surrounding the Publik House.
I met my sister in Boston for yoga and drinks a few times, we saw Luke Bryan perform at Foxborough, I enjoyed a completely relaxing and restorative girls weekend — complete with yoga — with my best college girlfriends, and started a side-hustle as a dog sitter. Something I never dreamed I’d love, but do. Not only have we been able to test drive what having a pet would be like, we’ve been able to see how the girls are with various breeds and we’re learning so much about what we would ideally want in our future family “dream” dog.
This summer also marked the first big trip alone for Brian and I. His work brings him to some desirable destinations, but I haven’t been able to tag along on anything since Emilia was a baby until recently. And thanks to a very generous connection, we were able to not only stay at a Disney hotel, but go to Disney as well. It was was absolute heaven. The trip kicked off on a high note too, because we spent the first night of the trip being wined and dined (while floating in their pool no less) by one of my best best best friends and her husband — and got to finally meet her beautiful baby girl which was just the icing on the cake of a fabulous start to our time away.
Over the course of five magical days, I inhaled deeply. I slept in. We did Disney. And Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party. We dined on beignets daily. And we toured the Polynesian Village Resort before a deliciously luxurious lunch at Kona Cafe. It wasn’t Ohana, but it had all the ambiance and the air actually smelled like flowers, just like it did in Maui on our honeymoon. It was absolute, complete bliss. I have to remind myself this wasn’t even technically a vacation — Brian was working for a lot of the time. I can’t even imagine what the two of us would have been like if we’d have five whole days to devote to parks and pools and dining.
When we returned home, it was wonderful to be reunited with the girls. They’d missed us but had a blast with their Nana in our absence. They’d done every fun thing under the sun, were tanned and exhausted and happy to see us and thrilled to see the treats we brought home for them. All in all, a summer so great that for once, I didn’t feel any regret or longing as we rounded the corner into September. We spent Labor Day weekend at MiMi and PaPa’s beach cottage, then returned home and got prepped for the first day of school. There was a haircut. There was a trip out to restock the school snacks. A lunch box was purchased, and then we eagerly announced to September: fall, we’re ready for you. So long, summer!
