Back to School! Reflections on Summer
Back-to-school season is here! As a mom, the new school year signals a transition. No more lazy mornings (sad!), no more scheduled play dates at Sky Zone or the local bowling alley, no more being amused by my son basking in the sun like a cat. Before the traditional New Year, many people feel inspired to reflect (this doesn’t usually include me because I’m lazy, but who knows, maybe I’ll have a change of heart come 2025). I wanted to do a little reflection on this past summer.
Wow, summer flew by. How did two months fly by so quickly? (why do kids only get two months of summer? Wasn’t it always 3 months in the past? How would I know anyway? I went to a year-round elementary school)
How My Son Spent the Summer
My son attended one Vacation Bible School at a local church, a community program called Creative Arts Workshop (his favorite class being LEGO Battlebots), and a music camp. All of them, thankfully reasonably priced, were for 3-4 hours long and lasted a week. I value learning and know that young kids often listen better to another adult who’s not their mother. Plus, as an introvert, I value alone time, so I’m grateful for the time to do things myself, whether it’s running errands, tidying up the house, or reading a book.
We also kept my son busy with sports. Twice a week, my son had swim lessons through a neighboring Parks & Recreation program. After one session, his instructor informed us that he was ready to move up to the Otters class. He had been repeating the Dolphins class for several summers now, so I was proud of him for mastering the techniques needed to get promoted. Also twice a week, he attended a martial arts class that teaches real-world, practical “street fighting” skills. My husband and I think it’s important for him to learn discipline and self-defense.
When he wasn’t doing a scheduled activity, we just played things by ear. I know some families stick to a schedule to try to maintain consistency, and I somewhat did that when my son was younger. But I’m also a strong believer in letting your kids be bored sometimes and to have spontaneous fun. We spent a lot of time in our community pool this summer. My son also spent a lot of his free time with his two best friends in our neighborhood.
Gratitude for Neighborhood Friends
I feel so grateful to live in a gated HOA community that feels safe (most of the time) and where most of the neighbors I come across are friendly. A lot of young families live here, so we often meet new people at the community playground (this was a lifesaver for us during the COVID-19 pandemic). My son, who is an only child, has gotten so close to his neighborhood bestie that his family treats him as one of their own and we think of his friend as a second son. My son often invites his friend to join us for meals and feels really disappointed if his friend chooses not to.
Just like real brothers, sometimes they argue, get annoyed with each other, and need time apart. But they always go back to each other, and it’s heartwarming to observe their strong bond. The two boys are different - my son is introverted and a lot more cautious; his friend is very active and is not afraid to climb high things. But they find things they have in common - building things, dancing to fun music, eating delicious snacks.
After we moved into this neighborhood and my son started hanging out with this friend, I have to admit that I did have a certain qualm about this boy. He liked playing outside in bare feet, and then he would come play at our house. As an Asian-American mom who grew up wearing no shoes in the house, I implemented that same habit with my own family. So initially I judged this kid and inwardly freaked out. “He’s tracking germs into our house!” I thought. “Our floors are going to be filthy!”
But as time went on, I stopped caring. Jesus calls his disciples to welcome others with open arms, and this includes little children with dirty feet. Wouldn’t it be rude of me as a neighbor to not let him play in my house because of my selfish concerns? How would this kid perceive me if I denied him - “Sorry! You can’t play here”?
Sometimes, if I feel that concerned, I’ll politely give my son’s friend a wipe or a wet cloth and ask him if he can wipe his feet. But most of the time, I guess I just have faith that my health won’t be too negatively impacted by the germs brought into the house. Who knows, maybe it’s helping build our immune system - remember our fears of bringing our kid(s) to daycare/preschool and having them be surrounded by sick kids?.
Quality Time Spent As A Family and a Couple
We kept our summer low-key because we had gone on an international trip during spring break earlier this year. But we did go on a two-night getaway to Pismo as a family and explored the central coast. We also visited the newly renovated Casitas water park; my son and I particularly enjoyed the lazy river. We went to a local splash pad a couple times and met up with my mother-in-law and my nephew. Several old friends visited, and we feel grateful we got to spend quality time with them.
My husband and I also had some great dates this summer. After he found out some good news from work and after I launched my blog (something I had been talking about for the past year), we celebrated with a nice dinner at Mastro’s. Thanks to Instagram, my husband discovered and bought tickets for an Edgar Allan Poe themed cocktail event. I wasn’t particularly a huge fan of the recited poems or the cocktails, but I enjoyed the ambiance and spending time with my husband. We also recently went to the movie theater (it’s been forever!) to watch Deadpool & Wolverine.
Time to Myself
Now that my son is older and prefers to hang out with his friends, I also invested some time in myself. I got into a regular habit of reading my Study Bible more consistently and journaling. In June I launched this blog on Substack and currently promote it via social media. It’s been a great creative outlet for me. It’s also been a lot of fun reconnecting with a lot of people from my past whom I had drifted away from.
I made the conscious effort to spend more time with girlfriends. When an old friend was visiting from Japan, I coordinated a group of us to hang out - we went out to lunch at the same Thai restaurant we frequented in high school, walked around Target, and acted like kids again at Golf N Stuff. On a monthly basis, I hosted a Moms Night Out event at a local restaurant. Anyone local is free to attend. I want all moms to feel welcome and included because as a new mom, I often felt isolated and excluded.