The Halfway Point

July 13 is Bella's birthday - and it is also the halfway point for summer.  6 weeks left - thats it!  How can that be? Feels like summer just started. 

For me, summer starts on Eli's birthday - June 18.  School lets out, summer camps start, work goes into a slightly more relaxed mode....no meetings or emails after 2pm on Friday's during the summer.....and weekends are spent with family, friends and neighbors at the beach or local pool club.

This summer Eli went to sleep away camp for the first time.  He left shortly after his birthday - waiving good-bye at the bus with his headphones on listening to some Hot Chelle Rae or Flo Rida song while we stood by and watched a bus drive away with my son smiling in the back seat.  Me, I was crying tears of joy and sadness - I knew that life in our house would be a little calmer with one less kid at home. 

Sleep away camp leads to new habits that I cant seem to shake.  Every night between 9 and Midnight I wait impatiently for the camp to load up the pictures from the day - just to get a glimpse of Eli.  Is he having fun?  Is he smiling?  What activity did he have today?  What is he wearing?  Inevitably, we find him in a picture wearing one of 4 shirts - his Phillies, Eagles or Flyers shirt or his camp basketball tank and some crazy, ugly lacrosse shorts that every kid is wearing.

For me, I walk past the door to Eli's room every day - sometimes 10x per day - and it reminds me that he is not home.  How did my parents do it? 

Bella is having a great summer - she gets to choose every TV show.  She gets to ride any bike she wants and she chooses the family night movies or games every time. She gets ice cream almost every night and she chooses the books we read at bedtime.  Life is good for Bella this summer! 

The half way point.....and I have so much ahead of me over the next 6 weeks.  Where did the summer go?