"Alright buddy, what do you think we should stick on the list this year?" I asked our oldest, a rainbow of markers laid out on top of a stack of white paper. It was late May and per Choate family tradition, it was time to put forth our wishes for the summer ahead.
The six-year-old's looked something like: go to Scheels, swim 100 times, Worlds of Fun, plant a garden and have a water gun fight.
His mom's looked a bit like: learn to tie shoes, ride a bike and swim. Oh, and have oodles and oodles of fun in the way of later nights and starlit picnics.
I'm happy to say, we accomplished nearly all of the above.
Sitting here on our moonlit porch, the cooler breeze swaying overhead, I marvel at how extraordinary our ordinary was this summer. The conversations we had on the driveway. The snuggles on the outdoor couch. The laughter that started at 6 a.m. and was still very real more than 12 hours later. The friends we met for hours of water fun. The sports we played in the sweltering heat. The dozens of small soirees we had in our new home. The pilates we did by the poolside. The shows we caught in parks. The farmers' markets we visited for fresh flowers. The wishes we made in fountains. The pals we met for happy hours. The bubbles we ran in for a 5k.The trip to the lake and MN, long walks with the dog and endless family fun.
And the learning - oh the learning.
As of yesterday, the Big guy has a new pair of Nikes he promptly laces himself. He swam a 150 yard breast stroke and practically did the 100 IM in the neighborhood pool. Not to mention the near hour he looked like a little Lance out there on the track on his new 20" wheels. Just mere months before, this was all just a twinkle in our eyes.
And the little one - he's thriving at a new school, finding new ways to say hilarious things and giving the warmest of hugs that any stranger would even long for. His feet are two sizes bigger and his heart is still the size of Texas.
So as we tuck in our first-grader this evening, kiss our preschooler on the head, and share a moment of silence, may we always remember this season full of promise come true. We feel like the luckiest, most grateful people in the USA.
Now that's a gold medal kind of summer. May yours have been the same!
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