As both educators and parents, Jason and I know well the value of summer. Summers give us a well-needed respite after the turbulence and stress of the school year, but they also give us undivided family time. Over time, our summers have evolved as activities and interests change and as the kiddos get older. And yet, some things offer a comforting sameness. This summer day, yesterday, had no particularly rigid schedule.
Here is a little snapshot of our day in the life.
Summer mornings, for the most part, all begin the same way. We turn off the alarms, though we still tend to be early risers. One of us will go get cups of coffee and tip toe back upstairs so we can stay snuggled in bed for a little while, sipping a cuppa. We read and wake up slowly, hoping our other early risers stay asleep just a wee longer. Yesterday, we got a about a half hour of quiet time before Jameson rolled in. We are reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas* with him, and when he crawled in to say good morning, we read the next chapter together.
Eventually, we went downstairs to greet Finn for the day and opened up the patio doors to a sweet breeze and bright sunshine. The Sunday night rain had left things wet and damp, but all of the plants and flowers were happy.
Harper and Jameson like to eat breakfast first thing. Pancakes are not an every day affair around here, but we happened to have a cup of our fall mix leftover. And so, pancakes it was! While those cooked on the griddle, I unloaded the dishwasher. Sigh … the gift that keeps on giving.
After pancakes, Harper raced upstairs to brush her teeth. It was an exciting day for her … the day that her braces finally came off! She happily took a before picture.
While Jason took Harper over to the orthodontist, Jameson played, and I hopped on the Peloton for some exercise. I finished with a morning meditation and then flung myself onto the floor for a little sweaty rest.
Next, the oh-so-blissful part of a summer morning – the second cup of coffee, post workout. Hooray! Today, I took it on the porch with my book.
After that, it was time to walk Finn. He was a happy camper until he met two other sweet, kind, calm, but big dogs who scared him. Some might say that Finn is a relatively large dog himself, but he is quite a wuss actually. He came home pooped and opted for a little lay-down in his favorite summer spot, the cool backyard stones.
The late morning involved the mundanes of getting cleaned up and freshened for the day. Jameson and I accomplished some chores, and the puppy continued his nap.
Harper came home and looked 100% adorable! She said her teeth felt good, “not too slippery,” and she was smiling big. We love her with and without metal!
Time for lunch!
After lunch, we headed out for a little exploration. A new Climbing Collective was built near us not long ago, and we have watched it grow in stages over time with budding curiosity. We wanted to find out more, so we finally popped in for a little tour. As it turns out, the walls are massive, and the one outside looks particularly fun. We will come back a day and test out our bouldering skills.
Pretty soon, it was 3:00 and late afternoon was upon us. It included laundry, packing for an upcoming trip, a quick run to the grocery store, and Legos. Jason worked on his class, and then he and Jameson threw a Frisbee outside.
I had to run Harper back to the orthodontist this evening to get her temporary retainer fitted. She was a good sport and was relieved to learn she need only wear it at night. Phew!
The evening was beautiful, so dinner was al fresco. We had strawberry salad, sausage crumbles, and zucchini corn muffins. I used this recipe for the salad; it’s one of our favorites and perfect for the summer.
After dinner, we got snuggly on the couch and started a season of The Amazing Race. This is such a fun family show to watch!
Finny got his evening walk.
Harper finished her packing.
I spent a little quiet time on the computer.
And all went quiet around 9:00. The kiddos were in bed, and Jason and I settled in for a little TV together.
A day in the life. Nothing too special, but a lot of cozy tucked in here and there. Tomorrow, we are off on a little vacation. We look forward to some sea breeze and bit of adventuring. Until next time, happy summer!
