A Summer of the Past

As we officially close out summer time with Anna starting school next Tuesday and the football season upon us, I thought I would post about how much the summer has reminded me of my past.  People and places were revisited and feelings of being a girl again have come to the surface. 

The biggest of these is of course the loss of my dance teacher, Peter.  Not only did I have to say good-bye to him but also the studio.  It closed the end of July after an estate sale of everything in the building from paper clips to production sets from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet where Peter danced long ago.  To say this brings sadness is an understatement.  I have driven by the studio only once since the doors were closed and locked and the sign taken down.  It just made my heart ache.  I have decided though that I would rather the studio close in good graces and name like it did rather than being taken over by someone who did not know how to take care of it like he did.  I took the kids to the studio during the estate sale to see the rooms just one more time.  I explained to them why I was going and what we were going to do while we were there.  That, mainly, I just wanted to BE there one more time and say my good-byes.  Brice, in his sweet manner, said, "Aren't you sad, Mom?"....which brought tears to my eyes immediately.  After walking around the studio, seeing everything taken down and Peter's life work strewn all over the place, Anna grew impatient wondering when we were going to leave.  "Have you said good-bye yet, Mom?", she asked.  One day, I know she will understand but for now it shows me the difference in my two kids' personalities.  I purchased two very old books from the studio (one is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the other is just a general ballet book) and then convinced Justin to go back for a seated chest that Peter built.  I remember it being in the dressing room and in one of the studios holding stuffed animals and props that the little girls used during class.

 These are of Studio 2, as it was known.  The biggest floor and where I did most of my dancing.  The marley flooring had already been pulled up and sold along with the barres from some of the walls.

 Outside of the studio from Buford Hwy.

Peter's office and where the teachers could go to get away from us!

Having Anna start ballet coinciding with this has just been wonderful for my heart.  She is enjoying her Friday classes and while I know that she may not carry through all the years with dancing, it's been fun making memories with her, even if it's more for me right now.

And so, this brings us to other memories one of which includes Anna as well.  American Girl Dolls.  These dolls were first introduced in the mid-80's and I was a little old to have one but nevertheless, I got hold of a catalog and had to have one!  I saved my own money and was so excited to receive "Molly McIntyre" in the mail.  Some things have changed with the dolls, but they are still the same quality as when I was young.  They have added dolls to the collection and also "retired" dolls.  I am pretty sure Molly will be the next to be retired as she was one of the original three and the other two are no longer available.  I STILL get the catalogs in the mail (this company is no fool!) and Anna loves looking at it.  I told her that she could see my Molly doll and the girl fell in love.  Poor Molly smells very musty along with her clothes.  She could use a "bath" and maybe a little hair conditioning but Anna doesn't care!  We have changed her clothes and hair almost daily over the course of the summer and she knows how much I love Molly and that it is important to take care of her.  My plan is to take her to the American Girl Doll store for her birthday this year and get her her own doll.

And, last but not least, I have been able to see some of my high school friends this summer and their kids!  It is so fun to me that we are still connected.  It is the top benefit of Facebook if you ask me!  While we all still send Christmas cards to each other, it is so nice to watch our children grow on a day to day basis as well as be a support during rough times and good times.

 Kyle and Amelia (Sarah's youngest of 2)

 Kyle and Avery (Carey's youngest of 4!!)

 Look at Kyle trying to take Anna's headband off!

As you can see, Kyle didn't want to be in the picture which was making Meghan and I both laugh.  Meghan has a little girl Anna's age who wasn't able to come on the trip and now Meghan has twins (Hunter, little girl and Mason, little boy)

With all these girls, I used to have the best times!  Hard to believe we are all grown up with children of our own.  One with four kids, one with twins and all of us with at least one boy and one girl each.  How blessed we all are and how awesome it was to see them to relive old times and make new memories!  And, yes, they all look the same, if not better than they did in high school.