There and Back Again

Whew!

Is summer almost over? Where did it go? I can't believe it's August already, Emily had been to Summer Camp and is back again, she's learned to ride her bike, Violet is almost 3 months old (the pinnacle of baby deliciousness), Will has gobbled up S'Mores when we went camping (okay, camping a whopping 30 minutes from our house, but still...)

I guess the short story is that Emily's foot is better. The longer story is that I'm sorry I handled it the way I did, and I'm even sorrier that learning to ride a bike reduced the poor kid to tears. I mean, she learned, but I can't say I was of any particular help. Isn't that the memory of being a parent? Running alongside your child as they ride their bike, letting go at that critical moment, and beaming with joy as they ride off alone? Not exactly how it happened at our house. Not by a long shot. It was one of those mistaking the trees for the forest, or something like that.

But then there are days like today when we met some friends in Seattle for lunch, and she reminds me that she's just such a mature little person. While Ian and I took turns taking Will and Violet outside to play in the fountains (well Will played in the fountains, not so much Violet), Emily sat and conversed with adults, patiently listening, and not even being too shy.

We spent Emily's birthday camping, which was extremely brave of us, I think. It went as well as could be expected, actually better than we hoped with a tw0-month-old. We all piled into our tent and slept relatively soundly, ate tons of s'mores, and stayed up late around the camp fire talking with Emily, who, after I sang some Camp songs we used to sing at the very same summer camp from which she recently returned, remarked that they might have sung those "Back in the old days". Oy.

We're having a small family party for her tomorrow as well. And as we stood in line at Toys R Us, with a Barbie, some Barbie clothes, and Star Wars paper plate, I did have a chuckle at our Emily. She's brave enough to go to overnight summer camp alone with out batting an eye, but too timid for us to push her on her bike, wants nothing more than Barbies for her Star Wars-themed birthday party, and now, after just four days of practice, can ride her bike with the pros.

That girl is a study in contradictions, to be sure.