Tonight we ended summer. Well, basically. Tonight was the Ice Cream Social to meet the new principal at school and catch up with all the friends we said we were going to have playdates with and didn’t (: Summer really ends when you step foot back in school. For any reason. It’s like snuffing out the sunshine at noon. Melodramatic much?
Alas, it was bittersweet watching Daniela run around with her friends tonight. Like always, she was nervous about seeing everyone, but melted right back into the friendships like only children can. It’s hard to believe how grown up she’s becoming and the idea of 5th grade blows my freaking mind. Watching her squeal and jump up and down when yet another friend walked in the cafeteria made my heart smile. I adore her happy little group of girlfriends.
On our way home we drove by the little pasture of cows that we drive by multiple times a day. And as always, Daniela shrieked joyously over the baby moobutts. Maybe I was mentally trying to re-capture summer, but for the first time (in oh, 6 years) I wanted to pull over and visit those cows. My mom brain thought of all the practical reasons not to — including but not limited to: we were already 15 minutes behind on bedtime routine, the kitchen still held the death remains of dinner, and we have to be up, dressed, and presentable much earlier than normal tomorrow. But damn it, I wanted to be spontaneous!
I pulled a u-y (how do you spell that!) and parked the car much to the chagrin of my “fun parent” husband. We spent the next 15 minutes laughing and enticing a heard of 8 or 10 cows nearer to us with pulled up weeds. It was awesome. And we did get to feed a few of them! Daniela about flipped her lid when a little baby cow started nursing. Cuteness overload right there. It was a precious few minutes where we connected with each other, nature, and some cows.
I knew it was too good to last though. Once back in the car, Daniela wouldn’t stop saying the word “nipple” and laughing like a hyena. Thanks nursing cow. It probably didn’t help that I then wondered aloud why men have nipples if they don’t produce milk. Then Marco pulled up his shirt to inspect his own nipples. And Daniela was rolling around (as much as the seat belt would let her) and insanely yelling “NIPPLE!!!!” It’s good to know our family weirdness didn’t evaporate along with our summer.
