And they’re off! Like circus cats in a clown car, the tiny green Mini rolled down the street with Tatum behind the wheel, Clara beside her, likely fiddling with the radio, and Finn, now the tallest among them, stuffed in the back like a folding chair holding a fat backpack. It’s a miracle they can all get in the car—but I’m not worried, Tatum takes full advantage of the convertible aspect of the car to provide mental and physical space. There’s nothing like a happy teenager with hair flying to remember the real reason for a car, which is obviously joie de vivre.
There is going to much to unpack about my joie de vivre shimmering with all three pigs in one schoolhouse for one blessed year. However, there is still so much to unpack about the summer that I didn’t get to share yet. We can start with the fantastic karma that accompanies hard work and unparalleled motivation. Let’s call it “carma,” because look at the smiles on these two new drivers, who are absolutely glowing in the light of their new licenses. Go Tatum and Bridget! Tatum celebrated with brunch at Tastee Diner.
Tatum had a highly accomplished summer, because in addition to getting her license, she completed a year’s worth of French III online, got a certification, job and employee of the week award as a lifeguard at Palisades, and completed about 80 percent of her college application and list of schools of interest. Moreover, she has her first publication coming out in the fall, a chapter in a book about the desert, edited by none other than Joanna Biggar. Tatum’s time in wilderness, metaphorical and literal, has produced jewels.
Yet Kevin and I consider this Clara’s Epic Summer. At 15, Clara travelled solo to South Africa to participate for more than three weeks in a wildlife conservation program. Given Tatum’s immense growth during her time in the great outdoors, we thought Clara might love it as well. Outward Bound and similar programs didn’t align with our schedule, but Hugh told us about Global Leadership Adventures, “peace corps for teens,” and that captured our imaginations. Clara said yes before we even finished the invitational question.
She unfortunately didn’t write us letters or take her own photos, but I got some intel from a program blog and she told us more about it once home. It sounded, well, epic. I would say an experience of a lifetime, but I hope she’ll have many more. She learned how to track poachers, saw every imaginable animal on game drives, and made new friends.
Two weeks into the trip, Clara got Kevin and me on the phone at the same time—not an easy feat spanning three continents—and asked if she could go to a new school this year (hence the clown car, see above). Then she had the chance to talk it all over with Kevin when she hit the streets and plastic sheets of Costa Rica for a child care service project, followed by surfing and ATV driving on our vacation. See? An epic summer for Clara.
Of course, her favorite week may still have been the traditional summer trip to Deep Creek Lake in August. Tatum said the Fourth of July week at DCL was her summer highlight as well. Poppy and Grams have given us a magical gift with the family gathering at the dock each year.
Stones on the path of the week have to include fireworks and possibly swimming under the stars on the Fourth itself; cousin time; Blitz’s and Sean’s trivia night preceded by Patrick’s homemade pesto and followed by birthday cake for Blitz; a visit or six to The Creamery; an actual cinema showing of the latest good movie; dinners on the porch at the cottage and the big house; boggle and cam jam, books and tanning time at the dock; tubing and boat rides; coffee in bed with the aunties; and many games of telephone tag (“What? I can’t hear you. What judge is pickled in potatoes?” “No, I said don’t judge my salad, it should have triple the amount of tomatoes”).
There are so many moments over the summer that I want to etch into to my mind, but I can’t say I wasn’t counting the days til school started. There is a certain amount of crankiness that sets in when schedules are too fluid for too long. So school arrived just in time, and for once, I only have to keep track of one of them. But I’m guessing it will still keep me on my toes, and it will definitely have my heart as I watch the clown car roll slowly down Tomlinson Terrace.
@theterrace 