Lazy, Crazy Summer Days

Summer is officially in full swing at our house! After last week's crazy dance marathon, school year activities are officially complete. We kicked off the week with a homemade STRAWBERRY PIE and who can have a summer without a gallon of SUN TEA chilled at ALL times in the FRIDGE? Weeks are filled with trips to the local 'farmers daughters market' to purchase that weeks home grown veggies and fruit.

School activities have been replaced by summer FUN. Swim team, violin lessons, playing with friends, sleep-overs, cousin camp, vacation bible school, hanging at the pool, sleeping IN, naps, golfing, and VACATION! And of course don't forget, MOM's daily CHORE list! Summer = mom's off the hook for much of her household duties!

Unfortunately Kennedy's track and field participation has been sidelined for the summer due to an injured hip flexor. With that, we had 4 weekends open up for relaxing and family fun, one being this weekend.

Thursday morning was our first swim meet of the summer. An early morning wake up call, aka. 5:00 AM to be at the pool by 6:30. Who in the world decided to have swim meets at 7:00 AM? Ms. Kennedy has been gritting her teeth with every early morning wake-up call, usually followed with, 'Tell me, why I signed up for this?' She knows that in this household, one must finish what they start.

Madison started violin lessons this week. Every Tuesday and Thursday we trek on over to Linn Mar HS for an hour lesson. The report of the first two lesson's this week....BORING! 'I already knew EVERYTHING, mom'. We are not at the New York symphony level quite yet, so I am anticipating that things will PICK up.

Hmmmm lets see on Kennedy's social calendar, she has already attended 3 'school is done parties', with 2 more on the calendar, a birthday party, and a bamitzvah this weekend. Those are usually piggy backed with 'Can I have a sleep-over?'

Cousin Camp! Macin, age 5 has HER reservation for next week. We pick up her on Monday for a fun filled few days! We can't WAIT! Cousin Carter is booked for July and cousins, Jordan and Olivia in August!

Vacation Bible School...probably MY highlight of EVERY summer is slated for the last week of July. I need to get signed up to volunteer as a CREW leader! Kennedy is also a volunteer and Madison will participate. CROCODILE DOCK is our theme this year.

Pool time has been NONE up to this point. Chilly 60 and low 70 degree days along with rain and wind have prevented us from ANY lounging, book reading, chlorine filled hours. I am still using my winter foundation, something is wrong with that picture.

Sleeping IN. With the thunder clouds rolling through and rain rap, tap, tapping on my window this morning = NO SWIM TEAM practice and a few extra zzzzzss for US! Naps..last week Kennedy managed to pull a 5 hour one and seems to be catching a few extra zzzzzss most every day.

Milo is off for a few days with his ANNUAL guys out golfing in the Amana Colonies. Beer, LOTS of golfing, grilling out and no nonsense guy talk. Well, I am 'guessing' that what happens?

Vacation in August = road trip to Idaho to visit grandpa Gary and Mo-Mo! Summer vacations in our home consist of a three year rotation. Year 1 = Idaho Trip. Year 2 = Surprise Vacation (Milo & I plan a weeks vacation and the girls ONLY know day to day where we are going). Year 3 = Northern MN vacation, chilling in a cabin, fishing, and boating.

So that brings me to MOM'S summer chore LIST! I love it! Dishes, wash, house cleaning, food preparation. Each day the girls have a list of things that need to be accomplished before ANY friend time is allowed. I LOVE summer!

Whew...August 19th and the start of school will be here before we know it and if you can believe it, I will be ready to welcome it with OPEN arms.

So I best get some work done. Yes after ALL that I still have to work every week. Thank goodness for flexibility! I have about 2 hours of phone time in PJs to accomplishh and a bit of office work before tackling 'my' household chores for the day. We are hoping the clouds roll through and pool time is in our forecast for the afternoon.

Happy, LAZY, crazy days of SUMMER!