Each August, I have mixed feelings about the end of the summer. The last two summers, I have been completely ready and excited to go back to work, partly because it meant a break from full-time motherhood of small children--a job I know I could never do all day, every day, year-round--and partly because last year, I was starting a completely new job in a new district.
This year, though, I'm a bit sad to say good-bye to my leisurely mornings in my jammies with a cup of coffee and playdates with friends. This has been the nicest summer I can remember in years.
So, in honor of the end of my summer vacation, I am going to list my favorite parts of this summer (not listed in any order of any kind).
1. Playdates: In the world of stay-at-home motherhood, the key to keeping any kind of sanity at all is having regular playdates. Luckily for me, I have a wonderful network of friends who also chase small kids around full-time, so we are able to meet in the morning, let our kids play and chat about our lives and events. I swear, if it weren't for Kelli Killmer and Julie O'Keefe, I think I'd be crazy. Thanks ladies for the brunches, the coffee, and the time together! I wish I had an up-to-date picture of all of us together, but when we gather, we are all over the place taking care of our kids.
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| Kelli and Eloise from Fall of '11 |
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| Julie and Liam at the kids' birthday party this February |
2. Watching Kelly and Jen get married: Jay's brother, Kelly, recently married Jen in a beautiful, simple outdoor ceremony at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN. Weddings are a time for me to look back at my own wedding and remember the day that Jay and I vowed to be together. Although there are interesting stories associated with that day, I will say that I have never smiled so much as I did on the day I got married. So thank you to Kelly and Jen Burnham, for not only giving us the chance to spend 4 days in Nisswa with the rest of the clan, but for also showing us what true love looks like and allowing me to remember back to one of the best days of my life.
3. Spending time with my sister: Because my sister and only sibling, Stacy, is 8 years older than me and has lived in Colorado for the past 20 years, it has been difficult for us to be as close as other sisters are. However, in recent years, we have spent more time together. This summer, while on our trip to Denver, Stacy and her boyfriend, Christian, joined us camping at the Iron City Campground near Buena Vista, CO. Also, Stacy flew to Minnesota and stayed for a week at Lake Alexander, fishing with Dad and relaxing on the beach. I have loved seeing Stacy more often, and I love watching her with my kids.
My beautiful sister, Stacy, with Ainsley
4. Reading: I've read more books this summer than I have in a long time. Some books were for pleasure and some for my job and my school library. Here's a list of some (not all): 11/22/63 by Stephen King, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, The Healing by Jonathon O'Dell, Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, Tales of Burning Love by Louise Erdrich, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I'm currently reading Imagine by Jonah Lehrer. I'm sure there are some that I'm missing, but this is a pretty good list. Overall, I feel good about my progress, although I know I could have probably read more.
5. Exercising: I've recently befriended Jillian Michaels and some of her workouts. Although I find Jillian to be a little rude and bossy, her workouts have delivered. They are short, tough, and I have felt differently in my own skin than ever before.
6. Being in a clean house: More time at home means more time to straighten, organize and clean. Everyone who knows me knows that I do not live in the tidiest or cleanest house around, but this summer, because the kids have been more independent, I can spend a bit more time putting things away. And it feels good to look around and not be stressed about all of the housework that lies ahead.
7. Free local festivities: Granite City Days, the Benton County Fair, Summertime by George, the Avon Arts Festival--you name it, I was probably there. I love all of the fun, FREE activities to choose from. I find the St. Cloud area to be very family-friendly, and I love it!
8. Jazz night: Monday night is my night to head to the Veranda and watch some of my friends (who happen to be incredibly talented) play jazz music. Every Monday brings its own vibe and adventure. I've met so many interesting and talented people thanks to jazz night, and it's one of my favorite things to do in town.
9. Teetering on the verge of being diaper-free: Ainsley is nearly potty-trained, which means we have spent less money on diapers this summer. Awesome!
10. Our family portrait: We have not had a family portrait taken since before Ainsley was born. I was determined to change that and have a nice, outdoor family portrait taken. Otherwise, if you look through our photo albums, Jay and I seem to be divorced, since only one of us makes it in a picture at a time. I can't wait to see our photos, process them, and hang these pictures up on our walls!
11. My porch: One of the big selling points for us in buying this house was the three-season porch off the back. I've spent more time in the porch this summer than ever before, reading, relaxing, and even napping.
12. Falling in love with St. Cloud and around with Jo: My dear friend, Jo Svaren, has recently focused her energy on a project called "Falling in Love with St. Cloud (and Around)". It simply means that she has been working on experiencing (or re-experiencing) some of the things that she loves about living in St. Cloud. Luckily for me, I've been able to tag along to such events as swimming at Quarry Park, dining at Jules' Bistro, Jazz Night (of course!) and watching Muggsy Lauer roast coffee beans. Some of my favorite times this summer has been spent with Jo, and I'm so lucky that she includes me in her journeys. If you want to read more about her life (and her incredible artwork), check out her blog: http://becomingpicasso.blogspot.com/
13. Hanging my clothes outside: The clothesline in the backyard was another selling point of our house. Putting my clothes on the line outside is a simple pleasure that reminds me of my childhood. It will be sad day when I have to fire up the dryer again.
So tomorrow, when my alarm sounds at 5:30 a.m. and Jay and I frantically try to get out the door on time, I will have a moment in my car on the way to work reminiscing about the summer of 2012 and how great it was!
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