Ah, Summer! Thanks be to God!
Summer break started officially last week, but with the family visiting and house cleaning and a couple days spent at school for meetings and to clean, the week speed by and felt like work. But now we are back to slow starts to the mornings and hot afternoons spent lazing in the pool.
Lots of emotions colored the last month. Our sixth child graduated from high school Memorial Day weekend. I think I was more emotional this time around because I know how rarely she'll be home from now on. When our oldest graduated, I was so excited for him. I loved college, and he was going to the same place. I had confidence in him, our steadiest child, bright, hardworking, so I wasn't too worried, although of course there were things to worry about - including hospitalization for a bad infection and surgery for a knee injury. I also had a month-old infant at his high school graduation. My mothering days were restarting. Six children were still at home, and I knew he would be back for holidays and the summer.
What I didn't realize when we sent him off was how brief those visits home would be. And then there were summer jobs away. The second one was off right behind the first, and suddenly the flight from home seemed to be happening at waterfall pace. The stress of senior year and the emotions of saying goodbye only intensified with each child, rather than lessening. So now that this dear daughter has the spotlight, I have more emotions. She was the baby so long. If it weren't for that child who was an infant at her brother's graduation 10 years ago, I would have an empty nest this fall. Even her brother who is still in college won't be home long this summer - at the end of the week he leaves for Italy for a summer internship living with adults with disabilities in the L'Arche community and biking with them through the Dolomites. I'm more than a tiny bit wishful we could all go with him.
So I'm relishing this brief moment when our days have a relaxing tempo. I cleaned out my closet with my daughter's help and recycled a big stack of old papers. I have a box full of papers still to sort and organize this summer. I have a list of things I want to accomplish this summer. I'm doing an online class to finish a certification to for Catholic school teachers through Franciscan. I want to do more writing. I'm researching teacher certification programs.
On that topic: I've committed to another year teaching middle school, but I miss teaching at the college and in adult education. I felt called to this current job, and I have relished the purposefulness of teaching younger students, the relationships with students and other teachers, the learning I had to do and was able to share. But it has not been an easy year. I was exhausted at the end of every day. I was not especially good at classroom management, and the last couple of weeks I felt like I was floundering. Even though I went into this with an attitude that I would try it for a year, I want to try again to improve. To quit after one year feels like ... quitting, being defeated. In contrast, next year if I go back to teaching community college after two years of teaching younger students, it would feel more like a choice - as long as that option still exists. What I am learning now about classroom management, about designing lesson plans that provide options for differentiated learning, about creating opportunities for participatory learning, about pivoting when something isn't working, are valuable lessons and experiences for teaching any level.
But this post isn't supposed to be about teaching, although I want to try to write down some of what I learned for next year at some point this summer.
Instead, I'll share some pictures that capture a slight bit of the delight of having the whole family together. One of the things that makes me happiest is filling up a pew at Mass with my favorite people. I love sharing the sign of peace, sharing communion, praying with and for these particular young adults. I love that they have fun together and that they enjoy each other's company. Although I regularly complain about the size and upkeep of our house, I'm happy they want to come here and that there is space for them all to gather and hang out. The weekend began with my birthday, which we celebrated with a hike and a baccalaureate Mass and dinner out at a Thai restaurant, and then we celebrated the high school graduation the next day. Some aunts and an uncle and cousins came down from OKC. My parents went to my nephew's graduation and then made their way here for the rest of the weekend. We ate well and laughed a lot and enjoyed each other's company. They made their sister feel loved and congratulated and made their mom feel full of love and gratitude.
Here is a huge photo dump in reverse order:
Produce from my tiny garden - a little more this year because I started earlier and it is not as hot yet as last year.
A visit to the Veterans park for Memorial Day and our anniversary and a game of pickleball at the courts there.
My mom and I at the Austin Nature Center
Nature center time with the grandparents.
Night swimming
Splash contests
The sisters
The brothers
The proud parents
The cheering squad!
The graduate
The party with cousins
Before the Baccalaureate Mass
Birthday hike at St. Edwards Park
Swimming in Bull Creek
My sister-in-law capturing some of the wildlife
Senior skirt day - the girls decorate their uniforms with their college colors - Furman University in Greenville, SC
A deer spotted on our Mother's Day trip to Blue Hole in Wimberly, TX
More swimming hole fun. Quintessential central Texas summer activity
Modelling the cap and gown
Sunday Mass with the whole clan
Oldest and youngest
Swim team season has begun!
