Summer '09: A Look Back

Wowsers. I can hardly comprehend that summer is already coming to a close. This week, I headed back to work, the girls have been back at daycare each day, and Brian is continuing his daily 86 mile round trip commute.

Someone asked me the other day, "What have you done all summer?" and it took me a minute to give them an answer. There was not one major event that surfaced to the top of my memory, but when I reflected on the last few months, I realized just how much we have crammed into our summer. For example:

• Camryn started a ballet and tap class, which she loves.
  
• Aubrey began going to Gymboree play classes, and spending more time with kids her age
  
• Camryn and I saw a play starring two of my students
• Both girls took swimming lessons and made growth in leaps and bounds!
• We went to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time
• We went to two parades, two birthday parties, a wedding, and a graduation BBQ
• We attended two family reunions; one for my side of the family, and one for Brian's
• We went to the zoo several times
  
• We spent a weekend at the beach, with a trip to the aquarium, and of course, Mo's
  
• We went berry picking several times
  
• The girls got to pet both a shark and a tiger!
• We found a fun, new water fountain and park to play in on hot days
• We bounced around with our playgroup friends at PIU Jr.
• We traveled to Bend to spend a long weekend at Mimi & Papa's
• Camryn and I got our first mother/daughter pedicure together
• We held a garage sale and sold $600(!) worth of baby stuff
• We completed lots of little decorating updates around the house
  
• Brian got a new job, and consequently, a new TV, and a new commuter car
• Both girls went down the "big slide" at Juniper Park pool
• We enjoyed both wine and ice cream with "long-lost" friends :)
  

I'd say that's a fair amount of fun for a summer's worth of "stay-cation," dontcha think?

When I really think about it though, sometimes I wonder if I don't try to compensate during the summer for our family's never ending lack of time during the school year...? We always seem to have so much going on with relation to our jobs and the everyday, mundane duties necessary to keep a household up and running, that we don't always have time for all of the fun stuff we want to do from September through June. So, during the summer, we let loose. We release our regimented, scheduled lives, and we try to have fun every day. We try out new experiences, and we revisit old traditions. In short, we wear ourselves out, just having fun.

And so, the countdown begins to waking up early, rigid schedules, and fighting the Costco crowds on the weekends. Blech.