Packing up and Moving Forward

Last night was the closing ceremonies for yet another successful season at Kingston Soccer Club. It felt surreal to me because in my mind, since I am all healed from my surgery and finally getting into a semi-sensible groove with the two-under-two crew, summer has just begun! This was the first time Harriet had even been on the Kingston soccer field and here they are closing it up. Madness! I swear it can't really be the end of August yet. Right? This is just some cruel joke. Oh,well . . .I think it is safe to say that Harriet has many summers to look forward to kicking a ball around on that field.

Anyhoo . . .

KSC does it right when it comes to closing ceremonies. There was a BBQ, lots of soccer games played, awards distributed, candy and fireworks, which terrified little Leif. He loved the quiet ones, but the loud,, squealy, popping ones frightened him, forcing him to bury his face in Mr. Level-Headed's chest and wave bye over and over again in an attempt to make them stop. In spite of the firework-fail for Leif, it was a beautiful night. It was so nice to chat with friends and introduce them to Miss Harriet, while allowing Leif to run free in a large open space with minimal mess-making opportunities.

While strolling along the field, with Harriet strapped to my chest in her sling and Leif running amok, I spied a group of mamas with three newborn babies. Being a mama of a newborn myself, I walked over to this exclusive club to introduce myself and to meet Miss Harriet's future classmates at MCS. To my surprise all the babies were cousins, born to three sisters and ranging in ages from 1 week to 11 weeks. They were beautiful, and I could not help but remark on how lucky these babies are to grow up with cousins so close in age and in proximity. Hearing the sisters talk about how much fun it was to be pregnant within weeks of one another made me miss my own sister, Emily, who was pregnant with Ava while I was pregnant with Leif. Sadly, they moved away last month to Fredericton so that Emily can get her MA. I am super happy for them both and recognize how important this is for both of their futures, but selfishly, it puts a damper on my life and so I am a little sad, mourning our weekly playdates, trips to the Aquatic Center, and playground adventures. 

Being only a month apart, Leif and Ava have grown very close. In fact, they act like brother and sister; she bosses him around like a little sister and he torments the life out of her like a big brother. And they both gang up on poor little Harriet! She is squeezed, kissed and hugged to the brink of death by those two toddlers and she does not like it! Two weeks ago we visited Emily and Ave in their new apartment and it was touching to see how excited Leif and Ava were to be reunited. Hearing Ava squeal Leify! Leify! Leify! from her screen door as she saw us get out of the car, made me even more determined to ensure that these three little people will grow up together no matter the distance.

                                      

Ava meeting Harriet for the first time - she looks thrilled!

So much has changed this summer. Harriet has joined our family, Leif has become a monster (kidding! Or am I?), Elliot has become a high-schooler, Avery has become a middle-schooler, Zoe has become an all-knowing soon-to-be high school graduate (did that sound snarky? It sounded snarky to me) and Emily and Ava have moved away so that Emily can become a master of writing. This year is really going to be different for me, and although I am a little anxious about how it is all going to turn out, I am excited for the new adventures it will bring. Sure, the circumstances and the settings may have changed, but ultimately, all the characters are still the same and I am eager to see where our story will go from here.