Water Country

We went to Water Country, a water park in Portsmouth, NH today to celebrate the end of summer. Chris has to work next weekend and after that is Labor Day and then School starts!

Red Sox vs Yankees

Michael and I went to see the Red Sox play the Yankees at Fenway Park on Friday night. It was an exciting back-and-forth game - until the Yankees scored 7 runs in the 7th inning to put us away for good, and I think for the season. It turned out to be the longest 9-inning game in Major League Baseball history at 4 hrs, 45 minutes long. We left at 12:45AM in the top of the ninth when Michael couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. The loss made the hour-and-a-half drive home seem that much longer.

Growing Up

Is there a more defining moment in parenthood than the day you teach your child to ride a bicycle for the first time? Sure, the day they were born may be the greatest day of your life, and when they speak their first words or take their first steps, those are milestones to be cherished for sure. But the day you get your little one on a bike, push them up to speed, and let go... that's the quintessential conflict that underlies all of parenting. I mean, you have to do this, right? Do you know anybody that doesn't know how to ride a bike? But it's inherently unsafe; a skinned knee is such a likely outcome. And you can only run alongside them ready to grab them at the slightest wobble for so long. So you just let go, and watch. You've done all you can: outfitted them with the proper safety equipment, explained to them that the conservation of angular momentum will keep the wheels' axes perpendicular to the ground so long as they maintain a critical speed threshold, and wished them luck. That's it. That's all you can do. Then they start pedaling faster and faster and pretty soon they'll be doing wheelies. But along with the conflicting sensations of loss and pride comes the satisfaction of knowing that you were there for them. So begins our transition from a provider of life support to a provider of moral support. I'm sure it will take us a while to get used to this new role, but in the end it will be just like riding a bike.

Summer Camp is Over

Tomorrow is the last day of summer camp for the kids. Emily only went for 3 weeks and was a little intimidated on the field trips. She loved most the camp activities, learning new games and doing crafts. For Mike, it's all about the amusement parks and water parks, and being King of the 4-square court.

Michael's summer hockey is in full swing. He has games on Fri, Sat, and Sun this weekend. Their team is undefeated, with only 1 tie. He'll have September off, which will give him time for soccer, then more hockey in October. He passes most of his time in the evenings watching the Red Sox.