Summer Break Week One

Whew!!  I got a bunch done this first week of summer.  Senior pictures for child #1, ortho consult and commitment ($1,000 less than anticipated--whoo! whoo!) as well as driving school for child #2, dentist for child #3, and a voluntary/required training for me.  The in-laws came to visit on Friday and left Sunday morning.  I looked at our side yard--which was embarrassingly overgrown.

Since the entire weekend was picture perfect weather, I talked the kids into helping me for thirty minutes.  Daddy even came out to help (on Father's Day!).  Below is the productive "after" the help.  So much better.

Heat and humidity have now entered the picture--so much for more productive days outdoors.

First Day of Summer Vacation!

Today is the first day of summer vacation.  It is a time to relax, sip drinks with umbrellas, prop up my perfectly manicured toes, eat bonbons, and read books.  Oh wait . . . that is only in the movies.  I did take the weekend off of some of the normal cooking and cleaning duties to pick up today.

Actually summer is my catch-up time, and a time to give my husband (who does not get time off) a break.  This summer I am so excited because I do not have to run child 1 & child 2 to sports practice.  Child 1 has her driver's liscence; Child 2 will be working on hers. Child 3 has "running club" two nights a week--but 1 & 2 are doing community service by helping.  I may even get out of driving to some of those!  I have a day-long training on Friday, but them I am taking a week or two off of anything school related.  It will be mindless reading and cleaning.

It takes me most of June to get the house back into order.  I gut every room, reorganize, donate, throw away, etc.  Then the family spends August to May trashing it again--ha! ha!

We need to find time to visit family six hours away.  Is that going to be one trip?  Two?  Do we drop the kid(s) off and come back?  I still need to figure this out.

Then there are the appointments:  senior pictures (WOW!), four dentists, four physicals, one gynie, and the beginning of child 2 and orthodontics.  This, of course, may require a pit stop to the oral surgeon to remove wisdom teeth.  Driving school and on-road appointments.  Babysitting commitments.  Tutoring.  OK--so much for the umbrella drinks.  Playdates?  What are those?

I do love the summer with my kids.  It is the time where they are the priority.  I get to reconnect with them during walks, rainy day movies, etc.  I know these days are numbered.

After reviewing summer plans, I think I need to nap . . . nap time IS the biggest perk of summer after all.  I would choose a nap over an umbrella drink any day!

First Day of Summer Break

Yesterday was the first day of summer break.  I actually exercised (three mile walk/run), cleaned, volunteered at the high school, geocached (for the first time), made granola and several loaves of zucchini bread.  I took a shower right before bed and fell asleep immediately.  

The bread is very tasty (and I did not need to waste my CSA zucchini!).  Below is the recipe:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups sugar

2 cups shredded zucchini (do not peel--you want the skin)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

lemon zest (this really makes a big difference)

My family prefers no nuts; however, you may want to add a cup of chopped nuts

Mix flour cinnamon & nutmeg, baking powder & soda, and salt in one bowl.  Combine sugar, zucchini, veggie oil, eggs, and lemon zest in another.  Combine (and add nuts if desired) ingredients from both bowls.

Bake in greased/floured pans at 350 for 55 minutes--until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Makes TWO 8 X 4 X 2 loaves (or six mini loaves--less baking time).

This recipe freezes very well!

It Is Summer!!!!

I have finally checked out of my classroom.  It took longer than expected since I was told at the last minute I was switching classrooms--Uggghhh!  My 8-year-old son came with me to school for two hours and helped me finish up.  He works for Legos--win! win! for everyone!

I was hoping this summer would be MUCH quieter than last.  I think (and hope!) it will be better, but not quieter.  One daughter starts summer school P.E. on Monday.  The other starts four times a week cross country practice.  I need to look into starting at least one daughter with the orthodontist.  Same daughter turns 15.5 at beginning of July--needs driving school.  I'm doing "S.A.T. prep" with the older daughter and friend (aka--skill refresher for sophomore year); forcing the other daughter to join.  Vacation bible school.  Reading novels for 8th grade class I'll be teaching for the first time next year.  Visit to see family for a week or two in Illinois.  I need to start (again) to exercise.  I also use summer to deep clean and reorganize our home so we can systematically destroy it through the following school year.  Good thing I stopped at Sam's on my way home from school so we can eat well through the process!

Sign of Summer

I posted on my Facebook page that a sign of summer would be to read (uninterrupted) five consecutive pages in a book.  School was out on Friday (a week ago), and I've read the same two pages in the same novel about 100 times. 

I'm running my kids everywhere.  I did, however, do two things for me.  One, I went to my church's prayer shawl ministry without my kids; I hadn't done that in over a year.  (Pictures of two quilts were in a previous post).  Second, I left my comfort zone of running alone and joined up with a group at a local running store.  Did not know one person, but runners tend to be a very friendly group.  Several people helped me to find the right people to make me feel comfortable.  My goals to reach before Monday--connect with the running group which reconviens on Saturday mornings, sew something . . . anything, and read my five consecutive pages.