1st Day of 2nd Grade (and an extraordinary summer)

2nd Grade (and a once in a life time summer)

Hard to believe another year slipped by, well I really can not say slipped by when you see what this summer was like but still, how did his first day of second grade come up on us like this?

He was excited to get back to school.  I am going to save this blog to show him how excited he was in second grade, just in case his enthusiasm wanes a bit when he is a senior in high school.

Luckily, at the end of the day he said he has a great teacher.  "She is really nice."

We were holding our breath.  Now we can breathe again.  Life is ok.  Second grade is starting off in the right direction and we can get back into the routine of daily life.

But you may ask, what is this summer bit I am referring to, that makes us look for a bit of normalcy again?

Well come with me on this journey.  I will try to keep it brief (just the last couple of weeks) but it was a journey of a life time and this man is only 6 years and 7 month old.

Lets fast forward past the regular summer day camps where he learned about taking care of animals and creating his own computer programs (yes you heard me - his own computer games at Stanford).  

We rush by those educational opportunities and into international ice skating competitions in Los Angeles.

Take a look for yourself on YouTube.

The young man won a 5th, 6th, and oh yes - 2nd place in his first international skating competition.  He was a little unhappy about 5th and 6th place so we had to explain to him the importance of good sportsmanship and what an accomplishment it was to even participate in an international competition at his age.  He had no idea what he accomplished just being there on an international scale.

Did I mention we got up very early every day for his 7 am practice schedule and then his actual competitions later in the day?  No applause - he deserves it - he got up too.

So to demonstrate that we are not driven or anything, we tried to balance the "all work and no play" concept you are probably getting with what else:  Disneyland.  

Did I mention the competitions were in Aneheim? 

Look at that blonde hair - straight up!

Tons of people everywhere.  I wore my Fitbit (pedometer) and I walked over 23,000 steps each day.

Club 33.  Summer's dream comes true.  It is an elegant, by invitation or membership only, restaurant hidden in the center of Disneyland.  Very few people know about it but for those who do know about it - well lets just say the waiting list is measured in years not days.

We figured it might be one of those once in a lifetime things so why not invite the whole family.

We had one heck of a nice meal.  (Of course for the kids' meals, I would have to say those were the most expensive hamburgers I have ever purchased.)

Check out this dessert - presentation and pleasing to the palate.

Don't worry we also did a ton of kid stuff including the yellow submarine.

Ok - I could go on and on - we have tons of pictures trust me.  David liked the Tower of Terror so much we went on it three times.

So lets shift gears, you are getting a feel for why it was a great (once in a lifetime summer) but also why it is great to get back home.  But before we come full circle, it was time to fly to the east coast where David attended the University of Hartford's Hartt Suzuki Institute (violin).

The man was focused and attentive.

But generous to a fault. He even took time out from class to instruct mom.  Actually the classes were fantastic.  They made playing and playing well, entertaining and fun for the kids.  They had to march around the room while playing their instruments, trying to find out who was playing legato or staccato.  The teachers would draw the parents into the lessons asking them to poke their kid to see how stable they were while playing.  They also made us play while David instructed us.  It was a riot - exhausting but a riot.

David also learned to play in an orchestra at the Institute.  This was a great educational experience - learning to be part of group, etiquette, professionalism, and precision.

Yes - he checked to see if we were still sitting there - watching him.  

We were right there - the entire time.

He loved having east coast family present for his performance.  

This is him at the end of the row, just before he had to run up to the stage.

We concluded the week with a grand performance - music to our ears.

You may think we are done but while we were on the east coast we spent a little more time with family on a very special occasion.  

The synagogue I grew up in as a kid, the place my mother and father helped build, was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.  The synagogue was also a home to immigrant famers who were Holocaust survivors.  I still remember sitting at services asking my father what those numbers were tattooed on their arms.

This is the outside of the synagogue. Maurice Feingold was one of the architects who designed the building.  His work, this synagogue, received national recognition and he received architectural awards for his design. 

This is inside the sanctuary, blending both modern and traditional features.  

David got to see his Bubbie speak before the gathering about the roots of this special place.  

He was able to make a connection to an historic place of worship that was built by his family.

The Havdalah (symbolic end of the Sabbath) service was followed by a commemoration downstairs with some of the founders of the synagogue and their children who are now successfully preserving both the building and the memories.

The timing could not have been better for a family visit.

  What an education David received without fully grasping the full scope of his role in history that evening.  

The summer as I say was glorious, possibly once in a lifetime on many fronts.  But now you can also see why the first day of second grade was such a precious and welcomed event.  

The simple act of living his life out day by day, participating in the cycle of life, even the mundane school calendar, is a celebration.  We honor the survivors by surviving.  We are part of a long chain, part of a millennial people.  We take so much for granted because we don't take a moment to reflect on who we are, where we are, and how we got here. 

 On a more mundane note, it is wonderful to just get back into a routine - work, dinner, play, but at a reasonable pace.  It is great to return to a pattern and a schedule we are all accustomed to, anticipate, and enjoy.  

Thanks for sharing a peak into our lives and a few reflections.