Summer Podiums

what made our summer

As summer grasses fade from green to gold, I’m reflecting on what made our summer delightful.

White boards - We have a magnetic white board on the refrigerator, as well as a few small handheld whiteboards. I’m not a person who functions well with strict schedules, but I find that I (and all my kids) benefit from knowing the loose routine. It helps set expectations and serves as the visual reminder so I’m not always having to give verbal reminders (hallelujah).

Swimming - We are a family that was stupid enough to put in a pool in Minnesota. Have whatever strong opinion on that you want, but we love it and would do it all over again. It’s our one party trick for hosting and highly popular. We probably swim no less than 5 days/week from open through the end of August. We will probably continue to get use out of it in September as well. When we swim, I always say yes to two things that are otherwise not everyday occurrences: cold treats and Pringles. Based on the level of excitement around the Pringles, you would have thought it was Christmas morning.

Watching the Olympics - this is the most fun I’ve had watching the Olympics since I was a child, and the first time all my kids were into it.

Gardening - If baking sourdough and flower gardening are what you love when you are old, I’m all in. There is no more contented joy than walking outside first thing in the morning with coffee in hand and admiring the flowers. The garden is the place of abundance and beauty, and I love how its taught me generosity. Clip more flowers. Give them to everyone. Your garden will only thank you with more blooms. In the words of JJ Heller, my act of resistance (in this crazy world) is gardening. I’ve already got a wish list going of what flowers I plan to add on next year.

Kids that walk the dog - My older two have taken on the responsibility of walking the dog everyday this summer, and I love it. It’s the perfect big kid job.

Sourdough Focaccia - Trust me: this sourdough focaccia recipe, pesto, balsamic glaze, cherry tomatoes, and burrata cheese. It’s the dinner you’ll want all summer.

Spontaneity - whether it be last minute trips to the cabin, or afternoon swims that lead well into night, I love the freedom of being spontaneous that comes with long summer days.

Travel - I’ll elaborate on this more in a later post, because I am still soaking up what was the incredible experience of hiking around Mount Blanc. 10/10 recommend, it was the trip of a lifetime.

Family time - as a child, my summers always included some quality time with grandparents. It is a joy to see our children get to have that same experience with both Jason’s and my parents, as well as with their cousins.

Closing Ceremonies - this is a plug for The Lazy Genius. She talks a lot about how opening and closing ceremonies help define different seasons in a fun way. I’ve always felt a little overwhelmed by the idea of this (it must require so much baking and little cut out decorations!). But after using TLG Summer Docket for the first time and finding it super helpful, I figured we would give it a try. We chose a water park on one of the last days before school started. We were all able to go together. It felt good to set aside all the busyness of getting ready for school, and to savor the end of a really fantastic summer.