Last Day of Summer

Dear Grady,

This is the last day of summer and tomorrow you will officially become a fourth grader.  Yes, indeed.  And while I get a little sad when you hit these milestones, I am also filled with love and great pride at the young man you are turning into.

We dressed up for a costume party...that wasn't a costume party after all.  Boy did we feel silly!

We have both been sick with summer colds and I usually try to make sure we do something fun to punctuate the end of summer, but we both weren't feeling like ourselves as you so sweetly put it.  So, we decided to get you a haircut.  You have such beautiful hair and I just love how long it is, but it's hard for you to eat at the table and play soccer because it keeps falling in your camouflage colored eyes.  You wear your trusty baseball cap to keep your hair out of your eyes.

Before Haircut

 After your haircut, we went to In-N-Out Burger for an early lunch and talked about what to do next.  You are always so easy to please, Grady.  It makes my heart swell when I hear you tell me I just want to go to the library.  When I was your age the library was my greatest love.  I would spend hours upon hours looking through the card catalog and perusing the shelves for books.  I even remember getting my first library card.

We visited the Rohnert Park Library for the first time and what a treat!  You were so impressed with this library and quickly set about stacking up Geronimo Stilton books, graphic novels, books about birds and then we searched for books on Australia (for our trip next summer).  The librarians were super helpful and you got your very own Sonoma County Library card.  You can now check out up to 30 books at a time (and you did just that!).

You sweetly shared the fact that you've read over 230 books this year with one librarian and she was so impressed with you.  She said you should wear a t-shirt that says just that I've Read 230 Books.  This summer alone you read 110 books and I am SO proud of you.  And while the summer always starts out with you wanting movies and t.v. time, you quickly settled into a routine of twice weekly trips to the library and set about reading with a vengeance.  You love books.

Last lazy day of summer breakfast :: Cheerios & a stack of books

Your favorites this summer were series of books by Geronimo & Thea Stilton, Lemony Snicket, The Magic Treehouse books & the Tin Tin graphic novels.  You read half of Harry Potter #5, as well as half of Percy Jackson #5 and stopped yourself.  You weren't ready for them yet and you knew it.

Hike behind our house

We had such a lovely time reading Wildwood this summer and I look forward to finishing up this fall.  What a wondrous, magical novel.

Your love of birds was fierce this summer.  Your Sibley's Guide was a constant companion at the breakfast table and your trusty reference when journaling the birds that you love.  Mr. Toms took you birding twice and you went owl hunting at night with your dad behind our house.  You would gift me found feathers almost every day.

When we got home today you looked in the mirror and hated your haircut.  You thought you looked like a girl.  You thought you looked like the cartoonist, Emma Capps, but I assured you that you did not.  There were lots of hot, angry, scared tears streaming down your cheeks.  New haircuts can be hard and perhaps we will do this a few days before school next year.

Looks like a young Donnie Osmond?

The night before last you went to bed in tears and told me you didn't want to get any older because it seemed scary.  It does seem a bit scary, but you have so very much to look forward to.  That's the fun part.

And then last night you came into my room and told me you felt excited.  Kind of like the night before Christmas, except you knew there would be no new b.b. gun in the morning out in the living room.  You are a funny kid.

When I asked you what your favorite part(s) of summer were you told me this:

1.  CYO Camp in Occidental;
2.  Back to school shopping with me;
3.  Going to Jack & Harry's house;
4.  Your week of fun w/ Spencer at Hansine's house; and
5.  Camping at Gerstle Cove with the Day family.

Camping with the Days 2012

I really appreciated taking this summer vacation with you.  You did so many wonderful things and had many new experiences.  I saw you grow up quite a bit this summer and settle into yourself.  Your love of reading, birding, biking and playing with Legos took center stage and you created some really beautiful new artwork in your summer journal and watercolor paintings.

Riding Middle Road Loop in Valley Ford

It was one for the record books.

I love you and look forward to this new school year.  I can't wait to see what you are interested in and where your inquisitive mind takes you this year.

Love,

Your mom