Three Musketeers

We have made it through another summer! Annabel starts school tomorrow and I am soooo ready for routine (even if it’s going to start a lot earlier, waaaah). We just have to survive today, which may kill me: Annabel finds out her teacher and classmates today, and she is going to ask me every 2 minutes, “How much longer until I find out my teacher?” I know this because that’s what she’s done for the last THREE DAYS and I might be losing my mind.

The kids both thrived in swimming lessons this summer. Annabel is at the point now where the instructors were teaching her different strokes, like the breaststroke and backstroke. She also started learning how to dive, and she’s mastered her flip turn. The Olympics totally inspired her, and she started telling her instructors that she wants to “be like Katie Ledecky.”

James was in private lessons all summer, and he made huge strides. He will now happily swim under the water to retrieve sunken toys, but jumping into the water is still his favorite thing. It was fun sitting on the deck, watching them in the pool.

Swimming took up the majority of our summer. I tried to keep things low-key for us. We did go on a few adventures, but we also spent a LOT of time just being together at a park, or on the couch. They might not have needed a relaxed summer with their mom, but I definitely needed it with them.

Last night we went out to dinner to celebrate the last night of summer vacation. The kids picked a local spot where they created their own milkshakes, and we talked about who Annabel hopes is in her class, and getting James ready for preschool.

Right after Mike took that picture, James said, “I want to be with my Annie and Mommy!” and ran around the table to be in another photo with us.

We’ve been the Three Musketeers during the days this summer, and while I’ve loved the time with them, they are both ready to have some space and lead their own lives at school…but they still have to snuggle on the couch with me when they get home.