Summer Is Here! Let's Gooooooooo!!!!

 Hi!

So, school is out, and the summer of 2024 has officially begun, depending where you live, of course. In parts of the world winter has just started, but, unfortunately, I have yet to have had the honour of travelling to any of those places, so I can only speak from personal experience. Dang it! Hopefully... someday!

So, anyway...

Now what?

Well, here, it's going to be a busy summer of celebrations! 

Coming from a huge family has its perks. The month of July (and first couple of days of August) alone contains a wedding, a celebration of a 50th wedding anniversary, and a kick-ass family reunion.

This does not include the fact that 3 out of our 4 grandbabies are going to be hanging out here for most of the summer. So there are definitely going to be some adventures and, very likely, some misadventures to be had, for sure! I mean, it's going to be me and the munchkins... without any type of real supervision...soooooo.....

I will have to do grown-up stuff as far as work goes, but the rest of the time... I'm predicting the invention of some new ice cream-related desserts, some unconventional backyard games, water fights, and exploring yet undiscovered ways to waste perfectly good time doing only fun things. 

We only get so many summers. How many do you think you have left? Now, are those guaranteed? Absolutely not. 

Not all of us can afford, or have time for actual, planned-out holidays. Some of us have to fly by the seats of our pants and grab fun wherever and whenever we can. We have to be creative, inventive, and resourceful. 

Just remember, not every minute needs to be filled with activity. Let the kids get bored, now and then, they'll think of things to do. Follow up every "I'm bored" with a "There's always a toilet to clean." You will be amazed at how quickly they find ways to entertain themselves. 

Activities are fantastic, but they don't have to fill every waking moment. 

If you are summering on a budget, just remember a ton of adventures are free. Backyard camping, nature walks, scavenger hunts, bike rides, making sidewalk art, playing catch, special movie nights, the list is pretty endless, really.

Please just remember to participate. Don't just be the one organizing the activities, meals, snacks, and adventures. Dig in. The memories you'll create by fully being in it will far outweigh the quality of chores completed, particulars of the kinds of meals, or timing of snacks. The fun, the time, the moments, are far more important than schedules. 

So, to review.

Ditch schedules whenever and wherever possible.

Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, embrace fun in between. Repeat.

Bake some cookies, stock up on popsicles, watermelon, ice cream, sunscreen, bug spray, and bandaids. 

Summer is Here! Let's Goooooooooo!!!