We've done so much this stay. Down the shore at my aunt and uncle's house, in NYC with the whole family, a long weekend up in the Catskills with friends, Sesame Place, various and sundry parties and zoos, road trips and parks. And always always, evenings spent running around the backyard at my parents' house - searching for fireflies or inventing games on the slide or just listening to the two giggling sisters (who just moments before were fighting over who had the toy first).
Our original plan was for both the girls to go to day camp in the morning. That plan didn't quite pan out for Samina, who was not quite ready to be separated from us. Sofia, though - showing an amount of maturity I am utterly impressed with - was in the swing of things after just a day and a half, and spent her mornings making new friends and becoming more Americanized. She has improved her English by leaps and bounds, learning to use words like "otherwise" and "junk" and finally pronouncing "Hello Kitty" with an American accent (as opposed to "Ello Keety!"). We are so in awe of how well she took it all in, how she has put herself out there and adapted and is a whole new, broader, more wordly lady as a result of it. (Tantrums and all, mind you.)
And Samina. She ended up spending all her mornings with her Papà who - I suspect - has thoroughly enjoyed bonding with his Monkey despite the exhaustion and disappointment of not being able to get anything done all day amid his fathering duties (I've, through all this, continued to work full time from my laptop...). Samina has become even smilier, even sunnier - and also more obstinant than before. She is, truly, pure joy to all those who have the pleasure of coming into contact with her.
This is all not to say that there haven't been many difficulties this trip. Andrea and I are tired. Exhausted. And behind in everything we'd hoped to accomplish this summer. But we've sacrificed our time and attention for a clear purpose, our sole purpose as parents: to render our girls independent, open-minded, sensitive and thinking beings. And, now in almost-hindsight, I can honestly say that is precisely what has happened over these past two months.
None of this would of course have been possible without my parents, and so a shout-out to them. For hosting our craziness (and mess) for two months, for the fact that I haven't cooked one single meal since I got here, for taking us places, for reading stories to Sofia at bedtime and for trying to take Samina off our hands even though she wouldn't go.
And my other huge thank you goes, as always, to my husband. For not even thinking twice about taking over Daddy duties and giving up on our day camp hopes, despite your other plans and responsibilities, because you saw your little girl wasn't happy. For putting up with my attitude, for bringing me Starbucks surprises and for making me laugh even when I didn't want to.
On Saturday, we'll pack and then have family over for one last gathering, the cherry on top of a family-filled, fun-filled summer that, I believe, none of us will ever forget.
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