I wasn't sure we'd ever get here with our record number of snow days, but Cruz had his last day of school Thursday, June 6. It was beautiful outside most of the week and we took advantage of our last few opportunities for walks to and from school. Mila was done with school herself and loved getting to do this with us. On the last day, we waited for Cruz by his classroom door and before they dismissed, the school played "Celebration" down the halls and outside of the school. It was a party!
But our little softy wasn't quite ready to party yet. We watched sweet Mrs. Withers give each of her kids one last hug as they filed out the door and Cruz was one of the last ones. He walked over to us with the signature tight, straight-lipped smile he does when something feels sad and special and was clutching a picture frame with a picture of him and his teacher. He told me it made him sad that he couldn't just walk down the hallway to hug her next year, and then asked if I have her phone number so we could text her!
Similar to last year, we made plans to camp out under the stars to commemorate our last day of school, but we changed plans because Beau got to bring his dad home from the hospital. Mila and I spent the day as busy little beavers creating a plan B that ended up being the stuff kids' summertime dreams are made of.
Because midday errands don't come quite as easy in the summer months, Mila went with me on a gigantic summer stock up trip to Target a few days prior. And those dang Target dollar bins did it once again! I filled the cart with summer staples like huge cartons of Goldfish crackers for quick snacks, backup swim goggles and pool toys, and a neighborhood supply of freezy pops. I dug into my Target bags and created a little spread that would welcome Cruz and our little clan of neighbor friends home for summer. I had lemonade and fun straws, beach balls for the trampoline, and the cutest little cupcakes they could assemble together. They changed into their swimsuits as soon as their backpacks hit the pavement, I turned on the sprinklers and played some summer music, and they had a blast.
My favorite part, though, was that it worked for Angie to come celebrate with us! Brian was out of state for a golf trip and she had plans to take the girls to play tennis, so they were only going to stay for one cocktail and cupcake. But when she pulled up to the driveway with the windows down, some kind of hip hop blaring on her speakers, and leis around her neck, I had a feeling we might be in for a night of fun. We quickly decided it was just too hot for tennis and the UV/lemonades were just too refreshing, so our little after school party turned into Casey's pizza on the porch, kids changing back into clothes only to get the hoses out again, and sticky lemonade on every square inch of the front and back deck. These are the summertime memories the kids will remember. They're the kind of memories I remember. The impromptu, running around in swimsuits as the hot sun soon fades away and the street lights come on kind of memories that make summer a place for all sorts of magic. Angie and I decided we may just have to celebrate the last day of school together every year from here on out. And maybe kick the boys out of town... ;)
After the Gabel girls went home, the rest of our cul de sac stayed out until dark, the kids rode their bikes in circles, and we sat on the curb with beers and stories. And the kids beat us inside! So when we woke up to our first official day of summer, we declared it a lazy day and stayed in our pjs until noon. We would get on with our summer schedule and routine soon enough!
We rebounded by Friday night, though, and camped under the stars together. We let Cruz throw a few of his 2nd grade school papers into the fire, roasted hot dogs and s'mores, listened to lots of summertime tunes, and ended the night with Harry Potter and headlamps in our tent.
It was a sweet night, but waking up Saturday was my favorite part. I was up before the rest of them and the heat from the night had been replaced with a crisp coolness perfect for sleeping. I snuggled under the sheets, listened to the birds chirp, and watched my people sleep, sinking in to the summer smattering of a content heart and the anticipation of good things to come.
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