Summering 2019

Now that we are officially an elementary school family time passes in related increments- nine months of school followed up with three months of summer. Every changing of the season gives us reason to stop and reflect- the first day of school, the last day of school, the start of summer, the end of summer.

This is the first year where summer has felt significant for a couple of reasons. Pre kindergarten I had all the kids with me all the time, so outside of the warm weather, our routine didn't feel much different. Now I only have a few months with all three of my babies under the same roof. Furthermore, I found that during the school year I didn't do quite as many mini adventures with Wes and Hazel. I knew that Owen would be upset if he was left out and we had so many structured morning actives that there wasn't a lot of space for that. With these two epiphanies I was determined to make the most of the unstructured sunny days.

I put tougher a bucket list and we spent the summer checking things off. Hazel is old enough that it feels fun and relatively easy to venture out and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the kids played together at home. As much as I love the break that comes with dropping Owen off for 6 glorious hours, it's special to know that I love having him home just as much. 

The first year of Hazel's life was hard. Her second has felt much more manageable. This summer we're coming alive. Less constrained by nap schedules and more independent kiddos feels like the brink of a new chapter in our family history. We've checked almost everything off that bucket list and I've genuinely enjoyed my time with them.

As things are winding down we are feeling ready for fall. I'm equally grateful for the adventures and time together as a family that summer has provided and the routine that comes with back to school.