Dear Miles,

I can’t remember if it happened this way last year too, but this may be the first time I’ve written a Monthly Miles Memo while the two of us are in different cities.  You and Tobin are spending time at Mubby and Skitter’s house, doing all kinds of fun things.  The first time you did it, I think it was only for three or four days.  Then it stretched out into a week, and now, due to some scheduling issues, it’s ten whole days.  I hope Mubby and Skitter don’t fall over from exhaustion after keeping up with you for such a long stretch.  I reminded them to build in some relaxation time, both for your benefit and for theirs.

I’m guessing that will be okay with you, since you’re someone who would usually choose to stay inside playing Minecraft or reading a book over more active pursuits, and you’ve certainly had your fill of those lately.  Almost every time my phone dings, it’s a new picture or video from Mubby showing you doing something exciting.  So far I’ve seen you playing badminton, bobbing for apples, bowling, and participating in a water relay at the park.  You also filmed a video, ate at some of your favorite restaurants, went to the movies, and probably lots of other things Mubby didn’t get a chance to specifically document.  I know you’re having a great time, because every time I FaceTime with you, you don’t seem to miss me a bit.  I miss you a lot, but I’m glad you’re having so much fun.  You’re never going to forget your summer breaks with Mubby and Skitter.

It’s been weeks of solid action for you, because we dropped you off at Mubby and Skitter’s directly after getting back from our road trip to Colorado.  We spent a night in Fort Collins, which was a pleasant surprise.  They have a beautiful, pedestrian-friendly downtown with lots of treats and activities for families.  We then continued on to the YMCA of the Rockies near Estes Park, where we joined up with my friend Sarah and her family for a variety of fun activities.  You said your favorites were archery and the escape room.  I enjoyed watching you do the escape room the most.  You really light up in that kind of environment, with lots of challenges and puzzles to solve.  After we got back to Ames, you designed your own escape room.  Mubby, Aunt Suzy and I all did it, and we were all impressed with your creativity and puzzle-building skills.  You didn’t copy the content from the YMCA escape room, either.  There was a particularly clever clue that required remembering something you mentioned before it was clear that the escape room had actually begun.  I probably wouldn’t have gotten it without a hint.

You found lots of opportunities to play chess, both indoors and out, and you got to teach Sarah’s oldest son how to play.  You’re a good teacher, and Sam caught the chess bug before our time together was over.

The most physically taxing part of the trip was our mountain hike.  The picture below gives a slightly false impression; you weren’t really as exhausted as you look below.  You did a great job, and the sweeping views from the mountain top were very rewarding.  You probably would have been happy to just play chess and do escape rooms the whole time, but I’m glad you got to try out some new things and push your boundaries a little.

Photo by Denny

School is starting in a couple of weeks, and while you seem fine with the teacher you were assigned, you are bummed that none of your good friends are in your class.  Hopefully you’ll still be able to spend time with them on weekends and at extracurricular activities, and maybe this will give you a chance to get to know some new people.  With junior high coming up next year (oh dear lord), it’s good to know a variety of people.  You’ve done some of that already through Family Folk Machine and band, so I hope you can keep expanding your social circle.

Before you left for Mubby and Skitter week, we were making good progress on our summer activity list.  We went to the Children’s Museum, which you noted is really designed for kids younger than you.  You were still a good sport and played nicely with Callum.  That’s been a theme of the whole summer, actually.  During our trip and before it, you’ve been a great big brother.  The van helped a lot—we borrowed Skitter’s, and the extra space made for much less gratuitous kicking and face grabbing on Callum’s part, which often incites trouble.  But really, I’ve been proud of your leadership and ability to get along.  I’ve started shopping for trombones, and things are looking good in terms of your tromboney future.

Your current favorites:  the Artemis Fowl book series, the Asian-American delights of HuHot and Panda Express, Minecraft, designing and implementing complex games, and roping people into playing those games.  Usually it’s pretty fun, though I don’t always completely understand the rules.

It’s been a great summer, my dear boy, largely because of you.  Every now and then our family seems to settle into a sweet spot, when the kids are getting along, the weather is good, and life is pretty great.  Now if I could just get you back into town, we’ll try to extend that sweet spot as long as we can.  Shall we make it a sweet smudge?

Love,

Mom