Moments

A collection of memories from this summer:

• finding three of my favourite (out-of-print) books at a great used bookstore in Saskatoon...in hardcover...for only $10 apiece.
• tasting chocolate-covered bacon at the Night Market in Richmond with my kids and in-laws.  I think it would be less weird if the bacon was actually crispy.
• my kids losing 1 cell phone, 2 iPods and 1 Nintendo DS.  Cell phone has been found, other three still MIA.
• coming in from an evening walk to be greeted by my teenage son saying he missed me. :)
• looking in my button box for extra buttons and seeing two black ones in a little bag labelled "Ramsy's black suit".  I hate it that we don't need these anymore.  I put them back where I found them.
• watching Despicable Me 2 in the theatre with my kids.
• hanging out with my Sherlock-watching buddy.
• grieving for three friends who had sudden losses in their families this summer.
• feeling so thankful for dehumidifying air conditioning.  And hair gel.  Manitoba got all its summer weather this week. 
• finally realizing that the weariness I felt was not just tiredness but actually camouflaged sadness over how very long it seems since I saw Rams.
• connecting with some of my infrequently-seen cousins in the city and noticing all kinds of family traits in each other.
• excitedly telling my sister on the phone that I had to go because I heard the ice cream truck, running for my wallet, hollering to the kids, "Ice cream truck!!!" and then realizing that the little tune was actually coming from the basement where my daughter was playing one of those toy electronic keyboards.
• making the 50-minute drive to and from camp multiple times to drop off or pick up kids.
• feeling so proud of my kids as they interacted with younger children.  I love seeing all that other people have invested in them being poured into other kids' lives.
• missing Ramsy's help in managing the house and yard and activities.  Missing him coming up with spur-of-the-moment adventures.
• listening to really loud music in the van with the windows down, driving on the highway.  That's summer.
• celebrating my sister's 40th birthday with friends we grew up with.  Reminiscing over the silliness of our youth.
• going to see Les Mis with friends and afterwards laughing hysterically over napkins in the restaurant we had supper at.
• feeling like I will never, ever have everything ready for my students in September.  Feeling thankful to have a job in a place I love with people I love working with.  Feeling excited about teaching.