Highlights of 2009

Isabella’s 7th birthday party was supposed to be filled with fun at a park today. I woke to this morning to my phone blaring and her dad asking me on the other end of the line “Do you think Mother Nature will cooperate?” Huh? Wha? Really? It’s raining? Not only raining, but a cold fall breeze was in the air and if I pulled the pillow over my head and listened close enough, I heard the thunder. A dozen phones calls later, her party was a huge success but in the club house of her grandparents apartment complex, where the walls echoed and their squeals were louder. For most of the morning, 15 of Isabella’s closest friends came together to celebrate her birthday.

For the last 4 summers her birthday has been the start of another school year. Second grade….really? We have the new uniforms and the school supplies. I cannot seem to wrap my head around the fact that I will need to start packing lunches and before you know it, I will be turning on the heat and putting fall decorations in my front lawn. Our summer has been here and now gone and all I remember were a couple of hot days and several trips to the pool. Our lives are quieter now than they were last summer, which were days I never want to see again. We “cuddled” and read to each other, and laughed, and Isabella had her first pedicure. She grows and I cannot seem to stop her. Drum roll…the top ten highlights for the summer 2009... not necessarily in this order.

1. The Cottonwood Heights pool more times than I can count
2. Swim and tennis lessons – she learned to swim when I was not looking
3. Pedicure #1 – Just us girls
4. Staying up late (while eating ice cream) when we should have been going to bed
5. Pillow fights in the bedroom
6. Listening to Isabella learn to read, practically in a weekend, and not need my help much anymore.
7. Girl Scout camp at Camp Blue Cloud, where Isabella led the hike to all of us less experienced campers. We cannoed together, too. That is by far at the top of my list.
8. Watching Isabella get her face painted, and then much to my chagrin, helping her wash the paint off.
9. The Bell Canyon hike. Isabella tried to just slide down the mountain on her bottom....it's just easier that way.
10. Cowabunga Bay x2

So now I am a mom to a second grader and she amazes me more than I ever thought possible.