It's July 23rd, exactly one month until the first official day of school. In other words, cue that familiar summertime post where I commiserate over how it all went too fast and I'm suddenly in that in-between space of thinking about the school year while also desiring to squeeze as much out of this season as I can before it's back to backpacks and early bedtimes and trying to learn math alongside my second grader. We just returned from the very best of vacations and I was floating in la la land the entire ten days away. And reality hit soon after when I discovered I would have double the student load waiting for me next semester. I was not expecting that! I'll be squeezed in new ways next semester, but I'm determined to be positive and to see it as an opportunity to simplify, work smarter, and be wiser with my time. And while my mental lists have kept me up at night more than once this week, the change that is to come has also made me more aware of what's right in front of me. A baseball season just getting started, more summer adventures to be had, and those sweet summer nights of sidewalk chalk stained feet, sun-kissed cheeks, and pink sunsets. Summer, we're not done with you yet.
I think it might take me until October to get through my vacation photos, but first, some snapshots of our summertime days at home.
713. Rainy day bead making on the porch with my accessory queen. Don't get me wrong, I love the blue sky and bright sunny days as much as the next guy, but a gloomy, rainy day slipped in between is such a welcome reprieve now and then. And the covered outside spaces we have are icing on the rainy day cake!
714. Our taco truck lunch date in the back of Beau's truck was one of my favorite days of summer. We had a blast! We ordered tacos, walked across the parking lot to the convenient store for drinks, and set up the perfect little picnic spot amidst lots of noon-hour traffic and construction workers looking for tacos for lunch! I played Kids Bop radio, the kids danced from the back of the truck, and I agreed to pay them a dime for every wave or honk they earned from passerbys. A little classy, with a whole lot of quirky, that's how this family flows. ;)
The way Mila eats a taco... :)
715. Small town adventures to new parks, complete with a two-story curly slide and one pretty rad zip-line. We played "school", aka, Mila rang a bell and bossed us around, ate trail mix, and laid on our backs on a big quilt before we left for home. The sun on our face and the wind in our hair...
716. Just our simple summer routine. We go slow in the morning, eat our breakfast and get our chores done before we do something fun together. Sometimes its smoothies, a movie in the car, and errands, other times its crafts and new books at the library. This particular day, it was homemade bubbles, followed by books and painting projects on the deck.
Love these next two. First, Mila comes a'running. And then...
...POP!
717. Flower season. Fresh cuts every day.
718. These neighbor kids. What an important part of our summer they are!
719. And at the same time, quiet nights on the cul de sac are equally as important. I stood in the middle of the road, watching Mila catch balls with her bike helmet on and Cruz ride his bike back and forth, and saw everything I had once only wished for all playing out right in front of me.
She's taking this t-ball thing pretty seriously. ;)
720. Their most recent thing...the dude pose.
721. But my favorite thing about this summer is just watching the two of them together. They're thick as thieves and their bond is an absolute joy to watch unfold. They can also rile each other up in the most frustrating of ways, especially when we're grocery shopping! But it's these moments I catch out of the corner of my eye, when he's making her giggle, or she steals a surprise smooch, or they're simply sharing a couch cushion watching a show together, arms or legs or entire bodies draped across the other's, that I stop and soak it in. Beau and I say all the time that we hope they always remain as close as they are now, especially during those teenage years!
722. Summer nights - a pretty sunset, sidewalk chalk with my girl, dads vs. kids in basketball. Neighbors lingering out past dark, kids' yells and laughter heard from every corner of the neighborhood, and the anticipation of a childhood summer night. I remember them well.
723. A five-dollar pizza picnic at the ballpark.
724. So many hearty blooms this year. On the porch, in the garden, and in mason jars all over the house!
725. A successful summer of swimming lessons. We did group lessons this year and both kids enjoyed them a lot! Mila turned into a fish in a matter of two days and far exceeded the benchmarks in her level. Cruz was thankful for the challenge and will hopefully pass next year. ;)
726. She fell asleep on me two Sundays in a row. It was glorious drinking a cold brew and holding her there.
And here we are! We've got just a few weeks left and a whole lot of fun to have. And with a crew like this, fun is always right at an arm's reach.
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