farewell, summer

with the arrival of labor day comes the departure of summer. maybe not on the calendar, but for all intents and purposes, the season has ended. and i'm feeling quite ambivalent about the whole thing, actually.

on the one hand, i have to admit i'm excited. liam will be returning to his beloved preschool, and susanna will be attending for the first time. i know that children at this age crave routine, and it will certainly be nice to get back into a predictable schedule.

but on the other hand, i hate to see the season of freedom end. we've gone to the beach seven or eight times, and have enjoyed swimming lessons, outside playdates, picnics, museums, pool excursions, and camps. on a few rainy days we've even stayed in our pajamas until lunchtime, playing board games and hosting tea parties. we've taken long walks and ridden bikes and have just had an overall fantastic few months. i'll miss this laidback time.

for our last summer hurrah, on friday afternoon i took the kids to pullen park, a raleigh landmark full of fun stuff that i remember doing when i was liam's age. we kind of crammed in all of the highlights of summer in a two-hour stay: we fed the ducks, rode the carousel, took a train ride, played on the playground, and ate a picnic lunch with friends. we returned home with the smells of sunscreen and bug repellent, and a few great pictures. and the realization that summer would officially end in just a few short days.

farewell, summer!