I look back on the summer of 2024 with great fondness. I was feeling much better physically and eager to make the most of the beautiful weather with meaningful family time. Here are some of the highlights from that time:
Summer Camps
For summer camp, Trevor told Chris and me that he mainly wanted to focus on golf. So, we signed him up for the kids’ golf clinics at our golf club for most of the summer. The clinics ran for three hours in the morning (9:00–12:00), Monday through Friday. Afterward, Trevor would transition to the regular kids’ day camp for the afternoon (12:00–4:00), where he’d have lunch and then participate in pool time, tennis, basketball, or crafts and movies if the weather wasn’t good. He absolutely loved this schedule and says he wants to do the same for summer 2025. This setup worked well for me too, as the golf club is a quick and easy commute.
In addition, Chris signed him up for a week or two of hockey camp. I was grateful for that because it gave Trevor a break from the heat and sun. He loves hot weather—the hotter, the better, in his opinion! He actually enjoys temperatures soaring into the 90s (the polar opposite of me in that regard). But I constantly worried about whether he was applying enough sunscreen and drinking enough water. I was especially concerned this summer because the skin around his eyes would turn pink—I assume because he avoided applying sunscreen too close to his eyes (understandable since it might sting!). So, I tried to get him to wear sunglasses in addition to his usual baseball hats.
Trevor also attended a week of Celtics basketball camp near Boston. Chris was great about getting him to and from camp each day because he knew how much Trevor loves the Celtics! Trevor really enjoyed it and plans to go again in 2025.
Fun Summer Activities
I was feeling much better physically throughout the summer. I had been faithfully attending personal training sessions twice a week for 45-minute workouts, lifting small weights and exercising. I always dreaded going, but I found that it really helped me recover and feel like myself again. Because of that, we were able to enjoy many of my favorite summer activities—bike rides (we discovered a couple of great new paths!), beach walks, mini golf, picnics, and nature walks with Calvin.
We also spent lots of time at the golf course because Trevor never tires of golf. Although I don’t love playing, I do love the time we spend together as a family, cruising around in the golf cart. Trevor loves to drive it whenever Chris gives him the chance! And I just love being out on that beautifully landscaped, peaceful course, where I often see cranes, turtles, bunnies, and deer. I hope golf remains Trevor’s favorite sport into high school! To me, he is an amazing golfer. He can drive the ball far and straight, and his putting skills are especially impressive—he can quickly gauge how the ball might veer left or right or how the length of the grass might slow it down, things I can’t even see!
Tru even entered a special youth golf competition called “Drive, Chip and Putt.” Tru performed so well, earning the third place award (for his age group) for drives and placing first (for his age group) in putts. I was hardly surprised. As I already mentioned, Tru can drive the ball with power and he has incredible putting ability as well. Sadly – and I don’t know why – none of his chips landed anywhere near the mark. So he didn’t score enough points overall to progress to the next round. I’m sure I felt more disappointment than Tru did, just because I know that he would have progressed if he had chipped like I know he can!
I’m so grateful to Tru for convincing Chris and me to join the golf club! Some mornings, I’d take him to the practice range and just plop down on the ground behind him (I wish they had more comfortable seating!) and read. Then we’d go to the club restaurant for lunch together out on the porch. Those were some of my favorite summer mornings.
In addition, Tru and Chris did a really special trip to Disneyland in California. I still deal with very intense anxiety on planes, so I chose not to do the 6-hour flight. My brother joined Tru and Chris in my place. This actually worked out great because Dave loves Disney and is able to keep up with Tru, enthusiastically doing all of the intense roller coasters! They got to attend the special annual Disney convention, the D23 Expo in Anaheim, where they put on a big show to announce upcoming new projects. Tru even met one of the really famous Imagineers (Tony Baxter, I believe??) at a nearby In ‘N Out Burger!
Trevor Makes a New Friend
Trevor became friends with a little girl who moved in across the street, a nine-year-old named Decklyn. They had so much fun playing on his inflatable water slide bounce house. They even set up a lemonade stand, which reminded me of doing the same with my neighbor when I was eight! Every morning, Trevor would eagerly ask, “What time can I go over to Decklyn’s house?” She liked shooting hoops with him and even came golfing with us.
Special Memories
One of the biggest highlights of the summer was Trevor’s Little League team getting invited to walk the field at Fenway! It was an unforgettable experience to walk the length of the baseball field with Chris and Trevor. Afterward, we stayed to watch the Red Sox game. Tru was given a balloon in the shape of a glove and, of course, a sundae in a plastic baseball hat!
We also enjoyed some fun family outings, like our trip to Ogunquit, where we walked along the beautiful beach and had a delicious oceanfront lunch at Cliff House Maine. We returned to our favorite restaurant in York for a seafood dinner (pasta with butter for Trevor!) before watching the Fourth of July fireworks over the water.
Our Summer Traditions
We made it to the sunflower fields this year, which was really special. We’ve gone every year since Trevor was a baby and have only ever missed one year—the autumn I sprained my ankle. The fields were amazing this year, and we got some great photos.
We also visited the farm to cut flowers and pick peaches and blueberries. I remember my foot hurting that day, so we had to take the tractor ride to get to the peach orchards. I was devastated to have so much foot pain after working so hard to heal from my knee and ankle injuries. But at least my foot issues never stopped me completely—I was still able to participate in so many summer activities.
As I’ve mentioned in many other posts, Trevor hates to dress up and take photos. So he ends up with a lot fake, forced smiles. Chris and I have to get really creative to try to get him to authentically laugh – it was easier when he was younger! Using sunflowers to make mouse ears worked in the photos below! Candid shots also tend to work better. And Tru loves to do silly photos, so I try to include lots of those too – any funny faces you see were always Tru’s idea!
A Special Night: Dinner at the Lighthouse
Chris planned an amazing family experience: dinner in a lighthouse overlooking the harbor! Unfortunately, I had just injured my other foot when we had to climb the hundred tiny spiral stairs to the top, but it was absolutely worth it. The little room had just enough space for the three of us at a tiny (but comfortable) table. The lighthouse is booked for all three meals, 365 days a year, and I can see why! We even got to select our own music, each playing a few of our favorite songs.
While there, we found a journal to record memories from our special night. I remember writing about one of our dinner conversations—aliens! Trevor has been really obsessed with aliens lately. He and his friends love searching for them at recess, and he told me about the time his friends Ben and Harrison thought they saw one!
Back to School
Trevor went back to school at the end of August to start third grade. This is his final year in his E1 classroom, where he’s been since first grade. He’ll continue to have his favorite teacher, Jane (we’ve loved her so much), and he’ll step into more of a leadership role as the younger first and second graders look up to the third graders.
Trevor continues to have a very positive attitude toward school. He typically bounces out of bed between 6:00 and 6:20 a.m., Tru Crew stuffies in hand, for morning snuggles. He loves trying to tickle me because making people laugh is his greatest joy! If he accidentally sleeps until 7:00 (which is very rare!), he’s distressed because he thinks he’s missed out on his morning.
Next, we head downstairs to take care of Calvin—getting him outside and fed (he usually pops out of bed when he hears Trevor). Then I fix Trevor breakfast: a muffin cup, waffle, or bagel with cream cheese, plus orange juice, a fruit smoothie, or a protein smoothie (I’m so happy we found those—they have lots of vitamins in addition to protein!). He’ll usually have some fruit, too—he now eats apples, bananas, strawberries, melon, and oranges.
Trevor is involved in many sports, so I haven’t pushed him to stay on the playground after school. This fall, he’s playing soccer and hockey, and we’ll get to the golf course whenever we can to enjoy the beautiful late-summer days!
