Summer break in no particular order

Is it just "the teenage years" that some of my kids (particularly one) have decided they no longer like me taking pictures of them? And on the off chance I get the green light I rarely get smiles.  

First tech job

Did I ever tell you about the time my 16 year old son got his first tech job? It was the summer of 2022 and Truman got paid to code.  

So far, so good summer

Need a break? David and I have come up with places to escape the kids.  Stroll down aisles at the Korean market.

Throwback to a COVID-19 summer

Backyard got a facelift.

Is it the first day of school yet?

I'm ready for my kids to go back.  Their constant fighting is driving me insane.  And as much as I try to be in the moment with them, to give them my undivided attention I just want to ship them back on the bus and marathon Netflix it for the next two months.

The enriching lessons, high energy sports and skill-boosting camps are over.  Downtime to reset accomplished. I even encouraged them to do absolutely nothing at times (besides chores) because the truth is, summer is the only chance they get.  I've done my duty to get them refreshed for the upcoming school year.  And even prepared them academically by forcing Khan Academy down their throats which left a bad after taste.

Now...it's the day before the first day.  And...I...kind...a...want one more week with them? I know, I go back and forth.  I truly enjoyed another summer with my babies even without checking in to any hotels or accruing airline mileage.

Here are some of our final weeks of summer life in pictures...

We had music in the house this summer!

Thou shalt not say I'm hungry

If you're walking by my home and the windows are open chances are you can hear my kid's chanting their summer mantra, "I'm hungry...I'm hungry...I'm hungry!" That's right, I'm starving my kids even though there's a sink full of icky dishes and a dishwasher in constant cycle.  Aside from the hunger pains, the fun and freedom of this season has been refreshing!! It's been a good balance of lazy afternoons and structured activities. Having the kids at home is proving to be all right.

Even David is feeling the lax of summer.  I caught him laughing!

Here's to the first installment of summer!

Brace yourself parents, summer is here

Actually...I hosted a play date on the first day of summer break, moms included.  Yep, I opened my home and looked past my smudgy windows, dusty baseboards, and swifter-less floors.  I mean I didn't even bother clearing the school work clutter off the dining room table or even putting disposable hand towels in the bathroom.

Season of packing lunches and filling backpacks

Kids most dreaded day of the year came.  And the first day of school didn't go as expected.

I said goodbye to carefree temperaments and cheery dispositions.  And hello to moody kids and science projects.

This week in pictures | week 6 of summer 2018

Here's our photo montage of week 6:

I still get kisses from him.

This week in pictures | week 5 of summer 2018

Here's our photo montage of week 5:

Only four more weeks till backpack season👎.

This week in pictures | week 4 of summer 2018

Here's our photo montage of week 4:

Full of warmth.

This week in pictures | week 3 of summer 2018

Here's our photo montage of week 3:

SOCAL kids!

This week in pictures | week 2 of summer 2018

Here's our photo montage of week 2:

Hiking club.

This week in pictures | week 1 of summer 2018

Here's our photo montage of week 1:

First field trip of the summer at Kidspace Museum.

Summer daze are here

On Friday, we officially hung up our backpacks.  Retired our sticky, lunch boxes.  And burned Truman's middle school uniforms (the thought did cross my mind).

Summer break has left the building

I'm feeling reflective(again) because it's the last Sunday of summer break.  What does that mean for me? Lazy will no longer be respectable. Knowing what day it is will matter.  Extra curricular activities will come at me all at once and I'll have to figure out how to factor it in our weekly schedule again.  It means being colorless is a healthier lifestyle option even when the sun already took five years off my life.  Reversing the damage will be difficult.

Sun, sand, and John Cena

I can't decide if I'm happy or bummed that the school year is starting in five days.  There is hope on the horizon, people.  After ten years, I'll have full rein of my days and more elbowroom to explore my options.  Will I get a part-time job? Aspire to be a sofa spud? Binge-watching the next four seasons of Game of Thrones is all I think about.  I'll finally have the time to put my homemaking curiosities to the test.  Does toothpaste really remove bathroom grout? Does baking soda and vinegar really clean the oven? So many vital questions that I need answers to.

One Big Happy

...JULY, reigning supreme over all summer months.  Ahhhh, July was warm and radiant.  She's a party girl who doesn't believe in curfews and schedules.  She's covered in red, white, and blue all neatly wrapped around vacations without a #2 pencil in sight.  

All that and a bag of Doritos

I'm talk'in about summer. But you already knew that since you're probably having a fan-FREAK'IN-tastic time too. I'm really appreciating every doggy day bit of summer, even as simple as slumping on our front yard - an American term for front part of your house with grass.  You should try it.  It makes dilly-dallying that much more comfortable.