Life Lately / 8.3.23

For better or worse, these “currently” posts are turning into periodic photo dumps and/or lists of goings-on that I feel compelled to document at least superficially, even if it takes me weeks (or months!) to sit down and actually type it out. I could go down a rabbit hole here on my current thoughts on blogging and why I still do it and what I get from it…but that would be a digression. Another time, perhaps.

Nonetheless, it has been 5? 6? weeks since my last “life missive” here on the blog so there is catching up to do! (And I’m gonna start calling it “Life Lately” instead of “Currently.”)

Our second year of summer swim team wrapped up successfully. Before we joined the team last year, I’d heard that it could be burdensome and kind of annoying for the parents…but happily, that has not been our experience at all. I mean, ok, yes, it can be intense — but the season is short, and our team does a great job of finding a balance between competitiveness and fun.

Both of our kids started swimming lessons starting at age 1. When the pandemic hit, Emma had been swimming long enough that she was already on a “team” at the swim school and had excellent skills for her age. Charlotte, on the other hand, was still learning the basics and starting to work on strokes. She missed out on swim lessons from ages 4.5-6, and I could really see the impact of that when both girls started swim last summer.

This year, Charlotte improved across the board in all strokes, and it’s been really wonderful to see her take off. She was on the lower end of the 7-8 age group this year, so she has one more year to swim the 25yd distance and get stronger.

Emma was at the top end of the 9-10 age group this year and seems to have a good talent for the sport. She set champ times in all 5 individual events, although we missed the champ meet due to our vacation plans. She has some interest in trying out a year-round team; I’ve made a list of all the various options, and now need to reach out to schedule some trial practices. We shall see!

But enough about swim team…

We celebrated the 4th with the annual neighborhood bike parade and pool party. We invited some friends over for the pool party (this year there were food trucks and that was a great addition!) and then we swapped places and headed over to their house for the evening to grill and swim some more.

I vividly recall our first 4th of July after moving to our current neighborhood. It was 2017, Emma was not-quite-5, and Charlotte was not-quite-2. We attempted to participate in the “little kids” bike parade with Emma on training wheels and me pushing Charlotte — and promptly got left behind by the crowd.

Now it’s 6 years later, and both kids are leaving ME behind to ride the “big route” with their pack of school and neighborhood buddies. Time flies and all that…

Right after the holiday, we left for 10 days in North Carolina with my family, 7 of which were spent at Lake Lure. This is the third time we’ve done this big family trip, and it’s been one of my favorite things in recent years. We swam in the pool and the lake several times, played mini golf and pickleball, worked on puzzles and taught the kids how to play Rummikub and chess. My sister and I and our spouses went on a nice hike one day. We ate good food and watched baseball and F1 and read books and celebrated my parents’ 47th anniversary. All in all — a great trip.

With both summer vacations over, I feel like we’re kind of tumbling downhill towards the start of school. Emma turns 11 this weekend and we’re having a party at the pool, then back-to-school picks up steam with meet the teacher and middle school orientation stuff. I still don’t know exactly what our transportation plan is going to be for getting Emma to and from middle school — which is a few miles away instead of just on the other side of the neighborhood — and need to start seriously inquiring with a few people about carpools.

Add it to the never-ending to-do list, right?

In any case, onward I go.