The end of an era

I've walked the girls to school since E was in kindergarten. I've pushed strollers, pulled wagons, weathered the snow, the wind and rain; yet, now I find myself in the morning not walking the familiar route to school. Last year I took a big step in allowing E and T to walk home together since there are so many children that walk the same way and now this year E and T are riding their bikes with Mari, Isaac, and Luke. So now instead of rushing M and H to get in the wagon or stroller, I find myself waving to E and T as they ride off with their friends. They are growing up and I feel sort of not needed; however, M misses our morning rides so I will still pull the trusty red wagon as M and H and I take a walk around the neighborhood. It just won't be to drop off the girls at school. Our good-byes are now said on the driveway and not at school. I now wait patiently for 3:45 to roll around so that I can see them again and give them a big hug. I now pray that they make it safely to school and back. The neighbors were right in saying they grow up too fast.

Summer memories

I love sitting on the front steps on a beautiful summer night watching the children play. E and her friend, Mari, have lately been inseparable. They are two peas in a pod. They think the same, the enjoy the same things and I delight in watching them play. They both enjoy the Percy Jackson books and they have created for themselves an entire imaginary world where each knows exactly was is going to happen. They fight invisible monsters and plan counter attacks. They charge these monsters with celestial bronze swords (sticks) in hands riding their mythological pegasus' (bikes or rip riders). They shout out commands to attack and then fall back. They go on these monster hunts to find more monsters and they constantly tell me that I am just a mortal whereas they are half-bloods or sometimes they are full blooded gods. They went to the library last week with Mari's dad. Each came home with books about Greek mythology and monsters; yet, these books are books that I might check out and are not your typical kid book. They love them though.

Not to be left out, T has become quite good friends with Mari's brother, Isaac. They have a club and according to Isaac's mom, T has had such a calming influence on Isaac that she is happy they are getting along so well. T and Isaac run from house to house spying on the other neighbor children and then go racing off to their secret fort. Every day as soon as homework and chores are finished they rush off to the others home to see if they can play. They laugh and laugh and they are so good to include M and H in their games and it makes M and H feel so big to be included in the secret fort and in the tauntings and jeerings (all done in good fun) directed at the other children as the neighborhood kids exclaim that their fort is the best and the biggest and since they are all secret and well hidden forts no one knows for sure how big their own fort is exactly.

M is my little spark of life. She continues to race at high speeds on her scooter down the sidwalks as she tries to do tricks. If the trick makes her fall she will get up, smile her big smile, and then ride off again.

H is the neighborhood's little brother--they all love him. Once when there was a spider on H's tricycle and he started screaming and crying all the kids rushed to him and either helped him get off, calmed him down, or killed the spider that frightened him so. They love getting him to chase them and making him laugh.

I'm afraid that summer will end all too soon.