Surviving Narcissism Exploring life after marriage to a narcissist. Learning and thriving by sharing our story. – Jesse Blayne

That went fast.

Remember when grownups would always say that time goes faster as you get older?  Another summer has come and gone and I find myself wanting to acknowledge all the sweetness of summer before settling down to fall.

There were so many good parts:

flip-flop tans

iced-coffees on the back patio (Will learned to make ’em better than me)

Kerr jars with perforated plastic wrap lids held on with rubber bands to house every critter Jenny found

walks in the park to measure yardage and find golf balls

smiling neighbors bringing us the golf balls they discovered at the park

Will learning to master the Weber and the three of us agreeing that a burger grilled at home always beats one you can buy

Jenny turning everything – including parsley, chives and Johnny Jump-Ups – into beautiful bouquets

BADminton in the street (BAD because we are that bad)

conversations on the long walks to the dog park (still trying to remember why we call it the dog park when there aren’t any dogs there)

Jen’s chalk art mermaids on the driveway

cocktails beside the putting green in grandma and grandpa’s backyard

hanging with cousins and guessing how they all might turn out when they grow up

setting up a tent – and leaving it set up all summer long – that was never slept in

seeing two funnel clouds on the way home from a drive in the country (remembering what it was like when Jenny was a scared little girl wanting to sit on my lap)

being proud of Will when watching him compete in his first big golf competition

having Nina follow us on our walks around the block

sleeping with the windows open, and having the birds wake me, and not being afraid to start the day

hardly ever cooking because it was either too hot or grandma had us over for dinner

What’s Next?

As delicious as summer was, I’m excited to greet fall with its new rhythms and somewhat organized schedule…

fuzzy socks sliding on the hardwoods

noticing that the three of us are running around town getting school supplies and groceries in what now appears to be our homeschool uniform – flannel shirts (maybe plaid is our school color?)

reading another chapter in a Rick Riordan book to the kids and watching Nina decide who has the most comfortable blanket-covered lap

cooking goulash, fettuccine, Sunday pot roast, spaghetti and meatballs, banana bread (without walnuts), ginger snaps, Will’s from-scratch pancakes, Nan brownies and grilled cheese and tomato soup (not all in the same day)

hauling wood and keeping the woodstove stoked and getting warm enough to have to take a nap

watching Will walk around the house in his ski gear even though the countdown to the first ski day is still at 37 days

watching Jenny’s immersion in crafts and her total lack of awareness of the weather and complete disinterest in the arrival of ski season

fleece sweaters that hide the parts I want to hide, with too-long sleeves to warm my always-cold hands

endless mugs of decaf Earl Grey tea on windy afternoons

guilt-free movie watching on Sunday afternoons because the weather isn’t good enough to be outside anyway

playing board games and card games and seeing just how smart Jen and Will are (either that, or I’m getting dumber)

books, books and more books; and the mistaken notion that I’ll have more time to read

looking forward to winter and ski season, and wondering if I’ll still remember how to ski

Goodbye, summer.

Hello, fall.