Summer fly, winters walk. T got an extra week of vacation this year but it’s time to head back to school this week.
This has been a strange challenging summer. I’m thankful my family stayed safe and got to make the most of it and explored the beauty of Ontario.
I know this was a privilege and so I feel extra thankful for these blessings!
I’ll hold dear the memories of our hikes, swims, picnics and long drives and I look forward to more adventures and a return to normal in the summers to come.
Here are just a few moments I’m smiling about as I look back at photos from the last two months.
The free outdoor City-run pool was such a blessing. T and I were there 3-4 times a week after work and day camp. It was a joy seeing his confidence in the water grow.
The many Minion toys pictured above – and that’s not all of them – were from the Happy Meals we had from McDonald’s Drive Thru after our swims.
We kept our distance from family and friends, except for three occasions this summer – doing socially distant and outdoor activities, including a day trip on a pontoon in Port Perry.
It was so nice to catch up with people and you almost forget what it’s like to interact with humans in real life until you do so again!
Our 9-day family roadtrip to Thunder Bay and back and our weekend trips to Killbear in July and in early September were much-needed recharge in nature.
It made me heart soar seeing T feel truly free in the wild and to see his spirited embrace of our hikes and swims in the wild.
It was a real joy when playgrounds reopened.
The countless hours we spent in the playground after day camp or during weekends created a wonderful mosaic of memories for T and I.
While it tugs at my heart to see T struggle with social interaction at times, it also makes me beam when I see his determined spirit to play with others and his successful moments at doing so.
Day camp reopened in July. What a relief for all of us to be able to have T some much needed social interaction with other kids and for the hubby and I to have some singular focus on our work.
The day camp staff were amazing and so understanding in working with T.
This was also the summer we made the decision to try medication for ADHD. The results have been mostly positive but with some continued challenges.
And it’s also the small and simple moments that add up – like our countless walks as a family around the block, to building forts, and for me, cooking homemade meals like chicken masala (above) to help pass the time.
Strangely enough, I think when I look back at this summer one day, it’ll be curious to see how much the word pandemic permeates into my viewpoint.
COVID-19 certainly affected our day-to-day life. But if I could sum up this summer in a few words, it would be: family, adventure, nature, being present, gratitude and resiliency.
I hope you all had a great summer and best wishes and continued safety for this fall!
Starting medications is necessary but they have side effects too!
For my son… It took some times to balance for the lowest possible and effective dosing.
Yes, it’s a necessity but also comes with challenges… and doses have to be adjusted as they get older too. But it also has made tremendous gains for him. Still issues that they have not helped with but everything is a work in progress! 😊👍
Wonderful post that brings lots of joy, sunshine and beautiful memories. Thank you. Have a wonderful week my friend. Regards to your family.
Thanks. Today is the last official day of summer. Kinda sad it’s ending and can’t wait for the next one. Haha. Hope you have a good week too!
I CANNOT like this enough 🤩 definitely thankful for this summer as weird as it may have been. We are back to school as well and it continues to be a weird year. Nevertheless, thankful for health and safety, friends and family. Life goes on 💙 and we continue to thrive❣
Thank you! It just flew by and I’m glad we had the summer that we had given the circumstances. Good luck and healthy wishes for your family with back to school!
Looks like a wonderful summer! Good luck with school this week!
Thanks Robyn! And best wishes with week 3!
What a wonderful summer in such trying times!
Thanks Diane! Sad to see it end but hopeful for the school year ahead.
Always a silver lining 🙂 thank you for highlighting the things that carried us all through this summer
Yes, there is always a silver lining and for us, it’s that we had quite a blessed summer in the grand scheme of things. So I’m thankful for that. Thank you for visiting!