Happy Birthday to my 12 Year-Old Tween!

Well, it's official;  my son is a tween!  He doesn't quite have the sassiness of the teen years, but he has entered a new phase where he's a bit more vocal about what he likes and what he doesn't.  Each year, Lewie's personality becomes more pronounced, and it's interesting to compare our similarities and differences.  For example, Lewie is a creature of habit and a home body; he's just as content to stay home as he is to go on a short outing, and in most cases, he prefers to stay home!  For me, on the other hand, I like travel, adventure, and trying new things--a fun day for me is usually finding somewhere new to explore (instead of staying home).

The one thing I LOVE about this kid, however, is that he is as sweet, kind, and generous as can be; he has a big heart and is both sentimental and grateful.  He loves reminiscing about old times, and he repeatedly mentions the people and things in his life that he's most thankful for...  A psychic once told my mother-in-law that Lew and I would have a boy, and he would be an "old soul."  Well, in my opinion, the psychic couldn't have been more accurate.  This kid sometimes displays more wisdom than me, helping me see when my Type A personality and perfectionist attitude gets in the way of true enjoyment and happiness.  He reminds me that sometimes it's okay to "just be" and "enjoy the peace found in the moment" (instead of trying to conquer it)!

This year, our birthday celebration was quiet.  We had Lewie's best friend visit him the day before, and then Aunty Kiki and Karen visited him on his special day.  We promised that other friends and family would see him in the next few weeks, too, but we would keep gatherings small, so we could allow for appropriate social distancing.

To make the day special, we had ice cream for lunch at Rich's Farm, and Grammy made him his favorite chocolate cake.  We also spent most of the day swimming in our pool, and of course, we had Bruce come in for a short swim, too.  With Little Lewie, being Little Lewie, he thanked us multiple times for an awesome party, and said today was the best birthday ever.  How can I not be grateful for such an awesome kid!!

To end this special birthday post, I am posting my annual interview with Lewie.  Some answers have changed from last year, but many are the same, proving, once again, that Little Lewie is definitely a creature of habit.

Here is this year's interview:

Q:  What is your favorite color?
A:  "Orange." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  What is your favorite book?
A:  "It's hard to say; I like all of Katherine Applegate's books."  (So far, we read, Home of the Brave, Wishtree, The One and Only Ivan, and Crenshaw.)

Q:  What is your favorite cartoon?
A:  "The Amazing World of Gumball." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  What is your favorite movie?
A:  "My favorite movie that I watched this year was A Dog's Purpose."

Q:  What is your favorite board game?
A:  "Chinese Checkers."  (He's been recently playing this A LOT with Grammy.)

Q:  What is your favorite computer game?
A:  "TABS (Totally Accurate Battle Simulator)."  (Of course, he asked for the Oculus Rift S for his birthday, and he's really been enjoying playing Rec Room in VR.)

Q:  What is your favorite place or favorite vacation?
A:  "I can't choose. I loved all of our vacations."

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do at school?
A:  "P.E. (Gym)." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  Who is your favorite teacher?
A:  "To be honest with you...still Miss Drayton, my second grade teacher."

Q:  What is your favorite sport?
A:  "Dodge Ball."

Q:  What is your favorite food?
A:  "French Toast." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  What is your favorite ice-cream flavor?
A:  "Sweet Cream." (This is the same as last year.)

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy?
A:  "Walking and jumping on the trampoline with you."

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A:  "Either a Youtuber or a game developer."

Q:  What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
A:  "Go swimming with him."

Q:  What is your favorite moment as an eleven year-old?
A:  I forgot to ask this question, so I'll find out tomorrow!

A COVID Summer

This summer has been, well, different.  There's no summer camp, no pool parties, no amusement parks, no sleepovers, and, so far, no vacations.  Perhaps the most difficult decision was to cancel (or postpone) our trip to Glacier National Park.  In July, we were going to go on an awesome 10 day trip of hiking, sightseeing, boating and adventure parks, but as the date grew nearer, we realized it would be too risky to fly and be in crowded spaces, especially since we have my 76 year-old mom living in the same house!

I can't say, however, this summer has been terrible.  We are still managing to visit friends and family (one small group at a time), and we've been spending more time outdoors than ever before.  Even more, we've added our puppy, Bruce, into the mix, and he's made life anything but boring. 

Here's Summer 2020 at a glance:

In June, we went strawberry picking.  We tried a new farm and loved it.  The social distancing was perfect so that neither of us needed to wear a mask, plus the strawberries were ripe, juicy, and delicious.  We even treated ourselves to a Dunkin' Donuts Frozen Hot Chocolate on the ride back home.  It was the perfect treat to end a perfect day outdoors.

We went to the lake house!  Friends of my dad invited the three of us to enjoy a day at Gardner Lake in Salem, CT.  Not only was the ride beautiful (we took back roads that brought us through Durham, Haddam, and East Haddam), but we had a chance to swim, relax on floats, jet ski, and go tubing.  It was a beautiful day spent outdoors reminiscing with old family friends.

We swam, lit a campfire, and made s'mores.

We hiked in new places...many new places...

And we enjoyed lots of puppy antics while watching Bruce grow!!

And so while life has definitely been moving slower, we haven't been doing less.  We are just having a chance to enjoy the simpler things...right next to home.  

Memorial Service at Connecticut Veterans' Cemetery

Yesterday we had a memorial service for our beloved Ninny and Papa at the Connecticut Veterans' Cemetery.  It had been a long time coming.  Five years ago, we lost Papa to Cancer, and we held onto his ashes in our home.  We had talked about making the Connecticut Veterans' Cemetery his final resting place, but in the end, it seemed that the entire family was struck with too much grief to think about it.  Instead, we had a nice funeral service and a small gathering to honor him.

This year, with Ninny's passing, it seemed that having the memorial service at the Veterans' Cemetery was the perfect choice, particularly with the pandemic.  We were told that the service would be held outside, and the capacity would be limited to 50 people (with masks and social distancing).  For us, a 50 person capacity was plenty, and in the end, we probably had more like 30 family and friends come to pay their final farewells.

The ceremony was brief but touching.  Two young service members prepared us for the three volleys fired, each bullet representing the words duty, honor, and country.   After the shots were fired, the men unfolded and refolded the American Flag, saluted it, and gave it to my husband.  Then, my husband thanked everyone for coming and read a poem to honor his parents' memory.  (He had tried very hard to write a eulogy for his mom, but in the end, her quick death was just too fresh and painful; he was too sad to do it!)

Having this ceremony really felt like it was "meant to be."  It's as if we held Papa's ashes just long enough until the two of them could be buried together.  Having met when she was fourteen and he was seventeen, they were lifelong soulmates, and although they broke up when he served in the Navy for three and a half years, they instantly reconnected after his return.  Their love for each other had only become more amplified through the years; and, indeed, they shared the same value of always placing family first.  They lived for their children and grandchildren just as much as they lived for each other.

They will be missed, but their legacy of fun, friends, and family will stay with us...
until we meet again.