This thing happens to me every summer...we hit July and the weather might be cooler for a week and my soul starts itching for autumn waaaaaay too early. I know it's a false alarm. I know Iowa in August means it will be AS HOT AS THE SURFACE OF THE SUN. And yet, I start thinking about all of our fall favorites and things get really out of control if I let myself venture to Pinterest (I didn't allow it to go that far this year). I remind myself it's very much STILL SUMMER and we will ENJOY EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.
BECAUSE SUMMER IS THE BEST.
But there are "favorites" for every season, aren't there? Each season arrives with anticipation and it's own set of traditions, activities, and changes in weather...I don't know why it's so impossible for me to get excited for summer at a reasonable time (as in...not March) and then just enjoy it in it's entirety before rushing into fall far too early.
Maybe it's because the Hobby Lobby aisles fill with Thanksgiving and Christmas Decor before the Fourth of July...or maybe it's because Starbucks releases their festive fall drinks at the end of August...both clearly point to the fact that I'm the sucker who buys into it when I know full-well I'll be in shorts and flip flops until October.
What would life be like if I just lived in the exact season I'm in, instead of wishing it away...always looking forward to the NEXT of everything?
The balance between slowing down and enjoying our long summer days vs. doing the many fun activities that always accompany summer mean we're living in this tension between DOING ALL THE FUN THINGS and NOT DOING ENOUGH THINGS WHILE SUMMER SLIPS AWAY. I especially noticed it last week when I decided we should stay home ALL DAY on Monday to catch up on the usual dishes and laundry after a crazy weekend. It felt so good to have absolutely nothing planned besides grocery pick-up...but I also felt this weird Summer-Mom-Guilt about not going to the pool on a perfectly nice day. WHY?! Because it's July! And summer is basically overrrrr!
Except that it's not.
This summer has not been a typical one for us...I've had a long list of lingering house projects + painting to accomplish and Josh has had an unusual amount of time off the past couple months. This has led to a very weird combination where I'm busy balancing my stuff AND we're filling our evenings and weekends with FUN FAMILY DATES. I've loved it all! But I have to admit, this summer has been anything BUT relaxing and slow, which is exactly what I was looking forward to after our INSANE winter/spring.
I'm determined to spend the next 30 days with NOTHING on the calendar. No more rushing off anywhere in the morning...having supper from the grill every night...and checking more books off my summer reading list (which has accidentally been the same sad stack since the beginning of July) while Mav plays in the yard. The school supplies are out at Target and the State Fair is here but summer still has so much life left in her. And I plan to make the most of it, in the least stressful way possible.
So here's to finishing my coffee in my pajamas while I read on our porch before changing straight into a swimsuit to head to the pool at 11. On repeat for the next. four. weeks.
Mmmmm Summer 2018, I'm excited for you all over again.
MmB
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