"The Charbor Chronicles": End of Summer 2014

Today, in fact right at this moment as I write this, my son is at school, for his first day in the third grade. Hopefully, he is enjoying himself.

While I cannot remember any specific memories from my first day of third grade, I do remember the third grade, and remember it pretty well, at that. It was the first academic year in my life that I can probably say that about. There were memories that I had from both the first and second grade, when I attended Columbus School in Lodi, New Jersey. But they are far more hazy, much less formed and vivid. Perhaps it is specifically because that was in Lodi, and not in West Milford, which my family moved to in 1982 (when I entered the third grade), and which they have stayed at (my parents, specifically) ever since. My memories of Lodi remain hazy, with some vague memories of the concrete yard that serves as a playground outside. It seemed huge back then. Now, when I have revisited the area, it seems impossibly small. There are memories of the classroom, as well. Reading stories, perhaps the Emperor Wears No Clothes. Being the only one to get a 100% on a math test, and feeling proud, only to have the teacher give those students that received 80% (the vast majority of the rest of the students) a huge curve of 20 points, so that they, too, got 100%. I was not rewarded for having done better than everyone else. I remember that, too. There was another memory of a teacher asking me what was on the nickel (meaning, I think what it was valued at), and I said it had George Washington on it, which was the wrong answer in more ways than one.

Third grade, on the other hand, I remember much better. I remember specific names - first and last - because those kids (most of them, anyway) would be among my classmates still when I graduated high school, almost one decade later.

Whether that will be the case with my son or not, no one knows. There are no specific plans to move, or anything. But a lot can happen in almost a decade, right?

In any case, I was thinking about him earlier, while out walking. Wondering if he was in class, doing his work, or perhaps in gym, or lunch, or the library, or wherever else he might have been. I will try and give him a call later on, to see how his day was. He actually seemed quite depressed in the days leading up to this, the first day back to school. I am nervous for him. But at the same time, I am so happy and proud to see him grow. He makes me proud everyday!

Also, I was thinking about the summer that he just had. Mostly, it was split in half. The first month consisted of two trips that I took him on. The first was a week or so long trip to the South in late June with my girlfriend, which I wrote about quite a bit in earlier blog entries. The second was a trip of roughly a week and a half in mid-July with my brother, about ten days after the first trip ended. That trip was through New England, into the Maritimes, and to eastern Quebec province, specifically the Gaspesie.

Both trips brought some incredible memories, and he had a lot of fun on both trips. He said that he remembers the swimming pool at our hotel in Charleston, South Carolina best for the first trip. When I pressed him a bit, he also said he remembered the aquarium in that city, as well. For the trip to Canada, he felt that the highlight was our last night camping, when we built a very nice fire, under a clear sky that gave a view on a beautiful canopy of stars. He was so moved by that, that there were "tears of joy", as he called them, in his eyes that night, which moved me. Of course, he also remembered the swimming pool, a couple of the restaurants that we went to, and the fountains of Quebec City, understandably. I published some blog entries about that trip as well, and am trying to finish up with the remaining blog entries that have not yet been published (nor finished).

Those two trips combined, from the day of departure for the first trip, to the day that we arrived back from the second trip, were almost a month, total. From Monday, June 23rd, the day we left for trip #1, to Sunday, July 20th, the day that we got back from that last trip.

The second half of his summer consisted of four weeks at Camp Yawpaw, which he enjoyed immensely. There were a lot of activities there for him, as well - from archery to shooting to swimming to nature hikes, and probably some other things, as well. They even invited the parents to barbecues that they held on Thursday evenings, and which I attended. The food and entertainment were both great, and I wrote a blog entry about Camp Yawpaw, as well (that one was published on August 9th).

So, he had plenty of opportunity for fun this summer! Plus, I took him to see Guardians of the Galaxy this past weekend, which he had wanted to see for a long time. Also, there was plenty of reading. Him reading to me, and improving with his reading noticeably. And, of course, me reading to him, mostly Greek Mythology and, towards the latter half of summer, the first of the Percy Jackson books, which expands on he themes of Greek Mythology. Also, I took him swimming at Wawayanda State Park quite a few times, and we sometimes built sandcastles together (like we did this past weekend).

I have surely said this before, but I will say it again, because it bears repeating: I want the very best for my son. But since money is tight, I am trying to make do the best that I can, in my own way. So, those two trips were significant, because I would love for him to do some traveling when young, to get a taste of the world. Two trips, one to the South, and one to New England and Canada, allow him to see parts of the world that he has never seen before, which is great. Someday, I would really love to take him to Europe, specifically France, although my girlfriend's family invited him to visit Poland, as well. The thing is, I suspect it would be best to wait another few years for such a trip, because money is tight, and he would be older, and a bit more mature, and so there would be a better chance that he might actually appreciate it!

In the meantime, I am trying my best. He is learning much in school and, so far, he seems to be doing better than I did at his age, for which I am very thankful. To the extent possible, I want to do as much as I can to keep his childhood as stable as possible. He has a roof over his head, and food on his plate. He is learning in school,even if he is not particularly thrilled at the moment about going back. And, he has parents that love him, even if they are divorced. At least he knows that his father did not abandon him, and tries to do the best for him. Taking him on vacations to relatively exotic places, or on smaller day trips to a local lake with some beach sand, or spending hours reading to each other, I hope he knows means something to me. The most valuable thing that you can share with someone you truly care about is your time.

And I have enjoyed all of the time that my son and I spent together. And this summer, we had some very memorable things that we did together! So, this blog entry is dedicated to those memories, which will hopefully last for both of us for many years to come!

Taking him swimming at Wawayanda one last time for this summer. He also enjoyed playing on the sandy beach, of course. We worked together to build a sand castle built on a island with a mote all around, right by the lakeside! It was as nice a way to end the summer as any I can imagine!

It was a very memorable summer for my son and I! Here were some pictures that I posted already, but thought were appropriate as a way of rehashing a really cool summer!

These were some of my favorite pictures from that wonderful night with the campfire and the stars. The stars did not come out on the camera, but the fire, and my son's enjoyment of it, surely did!

These are the pictures of the campfire that we built while staying at Camping Annie, in Métis-sur-Mer, Québec, Canada. This was probably the most beautiful night of the entire trip to Canada, and very conducive to a very nice campfire. Also, we sat under a canopy of stars, more than you could count! My son was so moved on this night, that he actually had what he called "tears of joy" in his eyes! I was personally moved by that, and since the trip ended, this is the night that I tend to recall most fondly!

Taking a breather at the Vermont Welcome Center, just after crossing the border from Québec province, Canada back into the United States. I forget what the name of this particular Vermont town is, however.