Happy 106 months, love (8 days behind, but who’s counting?)! Right now, we are mid-way through a week long beach vacation at Cape San Blas in Florida with Boo and your pal Ellanor. This is the first trip that we’ve let you bring a friend – I guessed that a whole week at the beach would be more fun with a beach buddy. I was right – you girls are getting along great!
You’ve spent hours and hours jumping waves, making sand figures, and collecting shells. We had a campfire on the beach last night, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. It may not have been the most balanced meal, but it sure was fun to cook and delicious to eat, even with a side of sand.
You’ve also enjoyed outings to the nearby bay, where you two like to wade through the waist-high water with buckets and nets, looking for creatures. Sea slugs are abundant, and you love to put them in your bucket and then scoop them into your hands.
“They love me, mama!” you squeal, as they flutter against your palm.
We began this beach vacation the day after school got out. Your first official day as a fourth grader.
A FOURTH GRADER.
Third grade was good to you. You have a nice group of friends, you did well in your school work, and you really seemed to enjoy going to school. I got to help out during Field Day, and it’s always a treat to see you with your school buddies and get a peek inside your school social life. From where I sit, it looks like a good one.
The end of the school year brought several other celebrations. You performed in the spring concert of the Armstrong Youth Orchestra, and then just a couple weeks later had your first solo viola recital, playing Bach’s Minuet III.
I always want to remember how adorable you looked at the orchestra concert – so grown up with your instrument perched on your shoulder, but so young, with your feet swinging, not touching the floor.
Then it was time to wrap up your second and final year as a Girl Scout Brownie, and “bridge” over to being a Junior.
It was a month of wrapping things up, of closing chapters and opening the chapter of summer. I think we got things off to a good start, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
I love you so much.