The wave of summer is cresting, isn’t it? These are the days that feel the most like summer (swimming! watermelon feta salad! turning on the grill!), yet the return to the structure of the fall is on the horizon.
Alex and I took a road trip to Ontario last week so he could race in Canadian Henley. What a joy to have the unstructured time with my 17-year-old; to be out of our routines and typical roles. Turns out when I wasn’t watching, he has become take-my-breath-away funny. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.
Motherhood is full of surprises and opportunities to grow and change within the role. Our kids spin away from us from their first breaths; I’m always working on letting go (of my desire for control; of my preconceived notions) while keeping the channel between me and them open. The challenge of a lifetime, I suspect.
Other highlights: Beachcombing early in the morning on the shores of Lake Ontario! Easy, endless hours with an old friend on the breezy sidelines as the pageantry of the regatta glided past us. Being reminded of the joy of having a competitor's heart. The relief of homecoming to my own bed; my garden; to be contented with the life I have.
Bonus Pareting Content: This essay on kiddos going to college, which references this essay, and then I’ve been giggling my way through the short essays in Does This Volvo Make My Butt Look Big?
A. The best decision I made with my garden two years ago was to plant this native wildflower mix outside the bedroom windows. Drought resistent; weed repelling: this garden bed demands nothing of me. This coverlet is a longtime favorite.
B. I’m a long-time magazine-head; this newsletter and my old blog spring directly from the joy of flipping through those glossy pages. A random pharmacy in Ontario had an amazing selection of European design magazine which is probably the oldest of my small joys. Favorites included Country Living British Edition, which led me to this amazing artwork by Adam Bridgland.
C. Archaeology Magazine is just the kind of delight you’d expect; short articles on all kinds of interesting history (Ohio’s serpent mounds! The origins of tennis!). Highly recommend!
D. Alex and I stopped at the Duty Free, and a jumbo fruit and nut bar sustained us through the 7-hour drive home.
Of all the roles I wasn’t expecting to step into as a parent, the role of Sports Mom is top of the list; the landscape of childhood sports has changed a lot since I was a kid playing fall soccer games illuminated by car headlights when it got dark. Club sports; travel teams; none of this was a thing in rural Vermont in the 1980s and 1990s.
A decade into being a sports mom, my Volvo is littered with various kinds of sunblock (face, non-sticky body, 70+ spray sport, the gel one that my youngest likes), a variety of bug sprays and baseball caps, and at least six different folding chairs, stools, picnic blankets, three different weights of towels (that double as blankets), and hoodies in every size. A roll of painter’s tape and a Sharpie come in handy more often than you’d think.
I now pack the chair with a sunshade and bring more water than you think it’s humanly possible to consume. I’ve got coolers in size XS-XXL, and I know to dump a few of those extra bottles of water in with the ice so it doesn’t seize up into a single block (it took me years to learn this!).
The surest way to show your love is to pull into the gas station and let the kids buy all the snacks. On the sidelines, the trick is to keep your mouth shut and take as much video as possible. The reason you buy the team swag for yourself is so that other parents will know which team you’re rooting for.
E. Of all the various gear we own, this chair, the one with a sunshade, is the best!
F. The best fuel for everyone (parents, siblings, and competitors) is a PB&J. It’s easy to digest; it has a good mix of carbs, fat, and sugar. If you’re feeding a team: Remember a package of paper plates and paper towels; pick up 6 stainless steel knives at a thrift store and leave them in the car. Along with the peanut butter & jelly, it never hurts to throw in a loaf of gluten-free bread so everyone can be fed. (Earlier in my parenting life there were a lot of peanut allergies; now there are none!) The cream Ikea bags make a great place for team trash (these events are almost always carry-in & carry-out).
G. I bought this Keep Going first aid kit at some point for the car, but I hadn’t used it until this week. Big recommend. It’s clearly labeled; everything is high quality.
H. I threw these wipes into the car at the last minute and was so glad I did. The regatta didn’t have much infrastructure; lots of portapotties, and it had flooded the day before we arrived, so it was muddy!
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I’m on the train with just a trickle of cell service, so no image here today.
I include a few bonus finds here each week for paid subscribers as a small token of appreciation for making this newsletter possible.
This Diet Coke hand towel is fun!
A deep dive into the warrior women! Queens! Businesswomen! throughout history. A reminder to myself that the history of the world is wide and full of different ways of being no matter how much our culture tries to make all of us small enough to fit into narrow boxes.
These are my favorite folders for corralling projects.
After a long search and more than a few misfires, I have finally replaced my beloved red Timbuk2 commuter backpack (purchased in 2017!) with this electric blue one from Everlane.
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