If you’re anything like me you get giddy with the changing seasons. Even here in Florida, when our temperatures only vary from boiling hot to kinda hot, I still love when a new season begins. So when this summer began, I was ready to go with the summer activities. I had an entire notebook put together with worksheets to keep my daughter reading and learning each week, I scheduled two full weeks of summer camp (her first camps ever!), we had BBQ’s at my mom’s on Sundays, went down to the Keys and even did Disney (yes, Disney in July! Crazy, I know). I had things jammed packed with plans because it’s summer and I need to “cash in” on all of those summer experiences. I would be lying if I didn’t say I loved it. We had a lot of fun and made some amazing memories this summer. I really enjoyed having so many fun plans and making the moments special for my kids.
But, just as much as I love looking at the calendar and seeing things highlighted in pink to mark their importance, I equally love looking at my calendar for the next few weeks of summer and seeing it not quite as colorful. Our days are going to be slower. We don’t have as many plans for this last month besides our usual activities that keep us busy enough as it is. I didn’t plan for any extras, or camps, or magical experiences for this last month. I planned for us to just be. Be at home reading book after book. Be at home on the back porch with chalk. Be at home watching Moana for the 100th time. Just be at home together enjoying the slowness that summer allows before we run head first into back to school. I feel like these few weeks of summer are just as important for my kids as the days I plan the amazing adventures on. Because that’s life isn’t it? A beautiful mix of amazing, magical moments doing something new, and the mundane occurrences that move us forward each day. I want my kids to be able to find joy in both extraordinary and the ordinary. I fully believe it’s okay to be a little “bored” from time to time. I guess I just really don’t ever want my kids to expect that their lives need to always be Disney level magic. I want them to see the beauty in the little things too.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I will always plan for those magical moments in the mix of our lives. Like I said, I love the changing seasons and the holidays- just ask my husband and I’m sure he can tell you a story or two about my obsessive love for school supplies, the pumpkin patch and Christmas lights that he just seem to can’t understand! I love making moments feel extra special because I realize this time with my kids is a short window but I also enjoy being “lazy” from time to time too. And if you can’t be a little lazy during the summertime then when can you?
