As I was thinking of our annual tradition of creating the “Summer of Fun” List, it occurred to me that this is Hannah’s last summer as a kid. She’ll be a senior next year and as my friend Pam told me, this is a year of a lot of lasts.
Hannah’s last first day of school. Gone are the days I can take pictures but maybe this year?
Hannah’s last season of HS soccer. It feels like yesterday when I saw her go out on the field for the first time as a freshman for the National Anthem. I was so proud of her and she even turned to give me a thumbs up.
Hannah’s last year of texting me “What’s for dinner?” She does this every single day and then suggests perhaps Chipotle?
Hannah’s last year of eating baked kale over the stove with me. This is a hallowed ritual.
Hannah’s last out of town soccer tournament. This has been our “thing” for so many years. We pile in my car with a gaggle of girls and a mom or two and drive to some God forsaken place that remarkably has an endless row of soccer fields. It (usually) never matters if they win or lose. What matters is the car snacks, songs we belt out at the top of our lungs and fun we have in the hotel room with our soccer family.
Hannah’s last “Summer of Fun”. She’s long since dissed this tradition but maybe she’ll give a bit more effort this time?
Oh, they’ll be many lasts that I will not miss.
Hannah’s last year of brushing her teeth and leaving her toothbrush in the kitchen, her last year of never putting the cap on ANYTHING EVER, the last year of daily arguments, the last year of trying to print something last minute for her as she’s walking out the door to school and I’m late for work.
My last year of saying “You’re gonna be late”, “Flush the toilet”, “Don’t talk to me like that”.
And my last year of knocking on her door every night before bed to say “I love you, sweetie”.
I know there will be a multitude of Firsts that will become just as routine and just as fun but right now, I don’t know what they are and that makes be sad.
So this will be my last year to take advantage of having her here. Maybe I’ll be more tolerant of the things I don’t love. Nah.
I’m really going to miss my first baby…
2 comments… add one
Kari June 16, 2015, 8:42 am
So true and so sweet. Happy I don’t have a girl because somehow I would definitely pay for being such an awful hyperemotional teenager, but already seeing the “lasts” on the distant horizon with my sophomore. I heard a Killers song – When You Were Young- this weekend and asked if he remembered the days we’d battle playing it on Guitar Hero – the kid who is usually a jerk said “it’s still one of my favorite songs, mom” and I burst out crying. How’d we get this old? Xoxox
Kirsten June 25, 2015, 2:52 pm
So sad. That’s what you get for raising her properly. If you have just kind of phoned the whole thing in she might still be living in your basement. So yeah….. regrets!