01 August 2005 - Summer Report

Sometime I'll write a "What We Did on Our Summer Vacation" essay, but frankly, I'm too tired to think about it right now. After summer school, we went to Denver, Omaha, England, and Wales.

We had a splendid time. It only took the boys a couple of days to get the hang of a travelling vaction without a fixed itinerary. With a couple of exceptions, we had no idea each morning where we'd be that night. We stayed in Bed & Breakfasts throughout Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Wales, and the Lake District. Every morning, we'd pile into the car, head off for somewhere new, and pick things to do and a place to stay as we found them.

Once the boys realized we'd always find a place to sleep and eat, they lost their anxiety about the schedule and just went with the flow. They enjoyed meeting new people, seeing new places, and eating different things each day.

You know how some kids just can't get along with each other on car trips? I'm so happy to report that Nicky and Zack aren't like that. They continued to play nicely with each other wherever we went and whatever we did. Even though I could see fatigue catching up with them and reducing their manners and patience, we continued to get compliments from everyone we met about how well-behaved and charming they were. Even at the very end of the trip, when they were exhausted, the biggest problem I saw was increased impulsiveness and a tendency toward whining. Not bad at all after three weeks away from home at their ages.

There were so many firsts for the boys this trip that I can't even list them all. Among other things, they saw their first ocean, their first beaches, their first castles, their first caves, their first cathedrals, and their first pubs. They absolutely loved swimming in the ocean and walking along the beach looking for shells, crabs, interesting rocks, and other stuff.

They are still too young to understand the history behind the places we visited (what's a thousand years to someone who isn't sure that an hour is longer than ten minutes?), but they grasped some basic concepts, and now have memories they can integrate with knowledge they learn later in life.

One of the highlights of the trip was staying with friends of mine near Oxford. I always enjoy my time with them, but was a bit concerned that the boys might not. It turns out I needn't have worried. My friends have a twelve-year-old son, Jamie, who is just fabulous with younger kids, and the three boys hit it off splendidly. Of all the people we met on the trip, including other kids with whom they played, the only name they remember is Jamie's.

A highlight for me was walking hand-in-hand with my sons through some of my favorite places in the world. As we explored Tintagel together, I told them about Merlin and King Arthur. As we walked through Sherwood Forest, I regaled them with tales of Robin Hood. I tried to keep the history lessons short and interesting, and was pleasantly surprised by how much they retained.

We got back to Texas last Wednesday, and have spent the time since catching up on sleep and reestablishing routines. We would have been exhausted and a little disoriented just from the three-week trip, but immediately before we left for London, we'd just finished a two-week trip to Denver and Omaha. I think next summer we'll take it a bit easier. Although the boys seem to have an inexhaustable source of energy, Papa is feeling the years.

School starts next Monday. Zack will be in Kindergarten, and Nicky in first grade. I'm looking forward to getting back to routine, I'm also eager to see what Year Two holds in store for the boys.