So it’s really over.

Summer.

Sigh.

It was good. We laughed. We cried. We danced. We drank. We slept. We lost teeth. We bought big girl beds.

It was too short.

And this past week we started fall schedule en force.

But as a late-joiner this week on Lizzi’s Weekend Thankful Hop, I want to do a round up of our last days of summer.

Because they were awesome. And I’m very thankful for all of it.

I’m thankful for my late August week off work (Thankful#1). I got crap-loads of work done.  I printed out boat-loads of photos and put them in albums. I got to walk my daughter to school for her first week of senior kindergarten. It was a great way to ease in to fall.

I’m thankful for good friends who invited us up to their lodge over the August long weekend (Thankful #2). We had a wonderful five days with good friends.

During that vacation? I’m thankful for preschool dance parties (Thankful #3). Before campfires; before kids went to bed; we set the music up and danced on one of the porches by the fire. My girls and I dance a lot; but during our time there? We won my friend’s son over as well. As I snapped a few photos I sort of felt like a voyeur chez Lord of the Flies (before things got, well, more … yeah, let’s forget that comparison).

And after kids went to bed? I’m thankful for long hours of relaxed adult conversation (Thankful #4). With preschoolers? It’s easy for your conversational skills about things not pertaining to child-rearing to …. atrophy. It was both relaxing and renewing.

I’m thankful for long stretches of shallow beach-front (Thankful #5). My girls had a blast.

I’m thankful for time to read (Thankful #6). I have had time to make it through TWO!!! fiction books recently.

I’m thankful for the opportunities this blog has opened (Thankful #7). I posted again this week over at Ottawa Mommy Club.  Please have a visit and read my most recent article over there about choosing to send my kids to French school and then spend some time generally surfing about.

I’m thankful for good neighbours and fun evenings out (Thankful #8). This Friday we went out to an event to help keep our neighbour in his home. It was a great turnout; a great event; and a fun evening. It was fabulous to see so many people turn out to support them and have a good evening.

I’m thankful for good colleagues and a job that challenges me (Thankful #9). I’m giving a workshop Monday and hope it goes well. I have great colleagues who helped me prepare for it.

I’m thankful for fun with my girls (Thankful #10). This week in preschool-girl world? We did our nails.

A lot.

While on vacation, my good friend did manicures for both my girls, and let them choose colours from her very large polish collection that she brought with her. This, naturally, made our home choice of “pink or purple” suddenly less than awesome.

So we made an outing this week and bought four new colours (many with GLITTER!) and now all have FABULOUS nails.

Choosing colours: Yeah! Still pink and purple!

Preschool nails!

And they’re stackable!

So that’s my last few weeks of thankful. Looking forward to catching up with the lives of others in the thankful community here!

I’d end here, but I feel like doing a proper send off to summer with a welcome to fall.

Which I like.

But fall? You just aren’t summer.

So: