How’s summer going for you?
Our has been fun but I’m not going to lie and say it’s been idyllic. It’s been busy, a little stressful at times and, as much as I want to savor every moment with my kids, I think it’s their personal mission to slowly drive me crazy. Reese changes clothes at least four times a day and then insists they’re all dirty. Drew, on the other hand, has decided that this one long sleeve shirt is the only thing worth wearing, outside of a bathing suit. Well, he’ll wear it with a bathing suit. Tucked in, of course. ‘Cause doesn’t everyone tuck their shirt into their bathing suit?
You guys, they’re too much.
Wild Fable Overalls (only $28) | Crew Neck Tank (only $8)
We’ve been having fun but I feel like we need to move beyond sitting poolside to soak up some more summer memories. So I’ve rounded up a few things I want to do before the kids head back to school in a month (can’t believe we only have a month left – where has it gone?). Hoping sharing these will give you all some ideas next time you’re wondering what to do.
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Take Drew to a LouCity FC soccer game
Since our Lemonade office is super close to the new stadium that’s being built, we bought LouCity FC season tickets in advance of next year’s debut there. But in a major disappointment, I’ve only been to one game this season. Ever since we bought the tickets, I’ve promised Drew that I would take him to a game and have failed miserably. So I’m circling a couple days in August to finally get there. Tickets are pretty cheap, so pick a nice night and head out for some hot dogs, cotton candy and soccer. Especially after the World Cup win, it’s a great way to keep the soccer love going.
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Hit Up the St. Agnes Church Picnic
We never miss the St. Joe’s Picnic and it’s my clear favorite, but St. Agnes (July 18 – 20) is a close second. The mix of a midway of carnival rides and a ton of kid-focused games make it a much better picnic for kids. We won’t be able to go on Saturday night this year (I’m hosting an event with Evereve … get all the details here), so I’m putting Friday night down as a must. I’ve already started saving my dimes.
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Plan a weekend getaway or staycation
We don’t normally plan trips in the summer because we’re of the mindset that it’s silly to leave town when it’s nice here. But I’m itching to get out of town, even if it’s just a quick lake trip or a weekend in Cincinnati. May only be able to take the girls (D3 has a very busy social calendar), but either way, I think we need to sneak off for a quick summer vacation. Feel free to send your recs for this.
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Go see a movie at the Georgetown Drive-In
There were still a couple drive-ins left in town when I spent summers here as a kid. Now I’m pretty sure the Georgetown Drive-In is one of the only ones still in the area. I’m thinking it would be fun to load up and take the kids to see Lion King at the drive-in. This is SUPER cheesy but I saw it at the drive-in as a kid, so it feels super nostalgic to see the same movie, kinda, at the drive-in with them. Pretty sure we’d have to leave Blake at home for this excursion since I doubt she’d stay awake to see the opening credits.
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Take Drew to Lincoln’s Birthplace
Okay, so this may sound like most 8-year-old’s worst nightmare but D3 is SUPER into history and has been asking to do this all summer. Honestly, he’s been asking for two years. He loves American history and is obsessed with presidents. It’s something he’s been dying to do so it’s time for me to man up and make the trek to Hogenville with him. Mostly, I just need to make time to do something that he’s really interested in seeing. So I guess if your kid(s) have been bugging you to do something forever, maybe it’s time to make it happen.
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Plan a “shopping spree” with the girls
I have a couple VERY girly girls. They live for dresses, make-up and all things sparkly. I feel like it would be a lot of fun to give them each $25 and let them loose at the mall. I’m considering driving them out to The Outlet Shoppes if we get a random rainy Sunday but even if not, I feel like they’d love to have $25 to shop til they drop at somewhere like Claire’s. Reese is in a big stick-on earring phase so I feel like it would be a win. p.s. – is there still a Claire’s in the mall?
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Spend More Time Enjoying the Little Things
Okay, so this isn’t something you can pencil into your calendar but no matter what we do, I’m trying to ditch my phone and work when I’m spending time with these tiny terrors. There’s nothing on Instagram I NEED to see (or at least, nothing I can’t catch up on once they’ve gone to bed when I can scroll in silence). On Fridays, I take the afternoons off to hang with them and lately I’ve put up an out of office so I don’t feel obligated to reply within minutes. It’s made those few hours much more enjoyable.
A couple Fridays ago, Reese and I had our own ice cream date with all our favorite Homemade Brand Ice Cream flavors and it was so fun. We bought all the fixings – mostly just tons of sprinkles – and enjoyed a little day date. Nothing too fancy, nothing crazy. Just $10 worth of ice cream, cake cones and sprinkles. Also, if you want your standard scoop of ice cream to taste ten times better, buy a pack of cake cones. It feels SO much more like a treat when it’s in a cone.
Reese picked her favorite flavor, mint chip and I went with my favorite Homemade Brand flavor, peanut butter n chip. If you’re a sucker for peanut butter, it has HUGE chunks of it. It’s seriously so good. Anyways, we just sat outside, enoyed our ice cream and I listened as Reese told me all the kindergarten gossip.
These might not be big trips or life changing plans but I feel like if we can make them happen, they’ll be something they remember when they’re older. I know I often put too much pressure on the big moments, but I feel like there’s so much to be found in those little moments together. Yeah this is a little cheesy but whatever I’m leaning into it… at least for summer. Or until tomorrow morning when I inevitably lose it after stepping on some killer Paw Patrol toy or trip on a basketball left in the middle of the hallway.
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