Summertime..and the Living is Easy

As I type this entry, I'm looking out at my backyard with 10 rose bushes blooming, my newly washed and trimmed dog snoozing on the porch, and mama birds busily grabbing worms for their babies nesting in trees nearby. I just love this time of year!!!

May has always been special, not only for its beauty, but because as any student or teacher will tell you, it marks the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. In the blog, Caring for Kids and Others, I wrote about the idea of rest and summer(not terms I would use together!)and also offered ideas for 3 different "R"s--Relax, Rejuvenate, and Reconnect.

I have great memories of summer as a kid and as a mom doing a lot of the same things with my kids--read the blog for more.

However, this year I'm sharing with the mama birds the leaving of my babies as they continue to "spread their wings" and leave the nest. This will be the first summer in 26 years I'll have no child at home! Our oldest son is married and finishing his teaching year in Lindsborg--he's off to State Track tomorrow with the qualifiers from his team. (It's the 100th anniversary of the Kansas High Schools State Track Meet) Our daughter graduated from KSU 2 weeks ago and we've been busy repurposing furniture(painting) and going to thrift stores to "feather" her new nest in Kansas City where she'll be attending the KU Med Center Physical Therapy School. We leave tomorrow morning! (We've been having cooking lessons so she can make more than peanut butter sandwiches) Our youngest son was home from KSU 1 week, and has"migrated south" to work at a children's camp in Arkansas this summer. I'll miss all the fun we had when they were younger but will still find ways to enjoy summer! I hope some of these will help you, as well.

Summer is a good time to.....

-Do some serious porch sitting. We have two porches and we alternate depending on the wind and time of day. Make a relaxing spot for your family and friends to gather outside--whether it's comfy furniture on the porch or out in the yard, it's a great place for visiting.(Don't forget iced tea with mint, lemonade or root beer floats!)

-keep de-cluttering. Have the kids help go through some of their things, school papers, clothes, etc. Donate to a thrift store--maybe offer a prize(a new item from the thrift store?) for a goodde-clutterjob.

-simplify meals. Eat fresh as much as possible. We have strawberries, lettuce, rhubarb and spinach that we're harvesting now. Support your local farmer's market. Make home-made ice cream. We're working on the perfect sorbet or gelato (my son became a fan in Italy)

Cook ahead--buy ground beef or chuck when it is on sale and cook 5 pounds or so--let cool and package in freezeer bags for easy meals(tacos,taco salad, spaghetti, BBQbeef cups, pizza, etc.)Use your crockpot to do roasts and a whole chicken and save part of the meat for another meal. Grill more hamburgers/hotdogs than you'll use for one meal to save for another.

Think Cold--freezer desserts and snacks. Buy some popsicle type plastic molds and make your own--we use banans, yogurt(plain or flavored), fruit juice and whatever left-over fruit we have and puree in blender,then pour into molds. Much cheaper and healthier than store bought treats. Frozen grapes are great,too.

-Equip your car for "day camping" or trips.
You never know when you'll happen on the perfcect spot for a picnic--equip your car with paper plates, plastic or real silverware, napkins, cups and a paring knife plus blanket. Always take water on trips in a jug, and some paper towels or wet wipes. Traveling with extra play shoes/clothes is a good idea, too.

-Take longer family trips

Traveling with kids, especially little ones is a challenge! We found that bringing some different books/toys than they usually have, snacks in individual zip lock bags, and waterbottles help. Cheese sticks are great snacks, as are fruit pieces. Books on tapes was another great car entertainment or I would read a book about the locale where we would be traveling. One year we followed the Platte River in Nebraska and the Oregon Trail. We had a great book on tape, WagonTrain 911, and I had made fruit leather for snacks--the kids really enjoyed it and learned a lot.

When packing clothes for the little ones, I would put clothes, socks,undies, hair bows,etc. for each outfit in 1 large ziplock bag. That way, to dress them, just pull out a bag and everything you need is all together!

-have fun--reconnect with your inner child,or borrow some kids--a lot of summer's best pleasures are the simplest--go barefoot, run through the sprinklers, eat watermelon, read a book in a hammock--you get the idea--and if you don't, check out the Caring for Kids and Others Blog!

I hope some of these ideas will make your summer living easier and may God Bless you and yours this summer!