Summer of Firsts

I think this summer is the "Summer of Firsts" for my girls. They've already tubed down the river for the first time in their lives, and then this last week we did a couple more things for their first time.

On Monday we had some friends come down and stay with us overnight, and then Tuesday both families went together to a water park. Hubby and I think it's the best one anywhere, and it happens to be not too terribly far from home, certainly close enough for a day trip. We've been before, but we had never taken the kids, and after seeing how they did on the river, we knew they were ready. It was so much fun. Little Girl is my dare-devil, and she did EVERYTHING. Big Girl did most everything, and had a great time. They both are looking forward to going back next year, which we'll probably do if I take my choirs there again next Spring. We got a great deal on our tickets because I had taken my choirs there in May.

Then Thursday I took both the girls to go visit a friend out of town. This friend of mine is a very dear friend, one who was there for me when I had my babies, and my miscarriage back in 2004, and it broke my heart when she moved out of town with her family back in 2006. At least they are only two and a half hours away, and I can go visit her during the summer when our kids aren't in school and I'm not working. Anyway, that's what we did. While we were there, we all went to the movies. We saw "Toy Story 3." It's a very cute movie. We opted to not pay an extra $3 per ticket to see it in 3D.

So what's the big deal? That was the first time my girls had ever seen a movie in the theater. I had been afraid to take them when they were littler, and Hubby hates going, and I didn't want to take them by myself, because if one of them needed to go potty, then the other would miss the movie too. They did great, loved the experience, and no one needed to go during the movie.

I think later this summer I'll go back and visit my friend again, and we'll take all the kids to the beach. My girls have never been.

I hate that there are so many things I haven't done with my kids yet. I can't beat myself up too much though. It's not that I'm depriving my kids of experiences on purpose. We just haven't been there/done that YET. They'll get to do it some time. Maybe even sooner than later.

The longer I wait, the more likely they are to remember the experience anyway.