Last Bits of Summer

As summer draws close and the kid head back to school, I’ve got a one track mind, how do we savor the last bits of summer? What can we do before to strengthen our family bond before the kids go back to school?

My kids have LONG school day and a LONG school year. Their school day runs 8:30 a.m to 3:35 p.m and while I love that they don’t come home with much homework (thanks to the extended day), I hate that their day so long! Their year is longer too. They typically are in school until around the 20th of June and have smaller mini vacation weeks during the year.

In other words, these last days of summer are super important to us. In the past, I’ve gone full out bananas on the last summer days with trips to Six Flags, epic day trips into Boston and a go go go mentality. But this year, we are savoring the last bits of summer nice and slow.

We are spending as much time as we can in the pool. My son’s best friends are also members of our pool club and I’m enjoying getting to know those kids better too.

Last Bits of Summer

Last Bits of Summer

Playing in the rain isn’t usually a “yes” in my house.  But this summer it is, and boy am I glad I did. The joy Lola experienced jumping in puddle was out of this world.

Last Bits of Summer

We are learning the art of boredom. Boredom breeds curiosity and curiosity breeds knowledge. Out of their boredom this summer, Lola and Malone have crafted an intricate pretend world where they’re  cat neighbors. My den is currently their neighborhood and full of sheet forts and cardboard box houses they’ve painted.

The weather is perfect and we’re doing nothing outside. And by nothing, I mean that we’re just going out without an agenda. It has been so fun to just see where the day takes us, instead of planning to go to the park or orchestrating a huge outdoor activity. We’ve done things simple and slow…. bubbles, sidewalk chalk and kiddie pool.

Last Bits of Summer

One of the things that has totally equipped me to savor the last bits of summer with my kids is having my fridge stocked with easy snacks, like DanimalsThey’re a good source of calcium and vitamin D to help kids build strong bones and regulate muscle function. And my kids? Obsessed.

Last Bits of Summer

Our favorite place to stock up on Danimals is at Walmart. They’ve got a variety of flavors and package sizes including 6 packs and 12 packs. And those 12 packs? They’ll be super handy for our turn in the snack rotation at soccer this fall.

Last Bits of Summer