Summer has arrived, and the children are out of school for a couple of months. Vacation plans are before us, as well as finding camps and programs to keep our little ones busy (so they don’t resort to making mischief)!
When my daughters were in middle school and high school, and we were living in Colorado at the time, we enrolled them in summer programs at the local recreational center. Softball was first on the list, and it was the sport in which my older daughter excelled.
In Colorado, our school district followed a year-round schedule for elementary schools. The girls attended school for nine weeks and then had a three-week break. Children living in the same neighborhood didn’t always end up on the same schedule, as there were A-D schedules. It made for a challenge, especially if you were working a full-time job.
You might even have a bucket list of things you would like to accomplish. Of course, I do. And I am checking one of those items off my list this summer. To see and experience spectacular Alaska. Since my father was a cartographer for the USGS, he spent nine different seasons working in Alaska. He shared that it was one of his favorite places, with its majestic beauty, fantastic nature, and friendly people. As a budding photographer, Dad captured some awe-inspiring photos. Some will be included in my memoir, “Map of Goodbyes.”
Summer is also an ideal time to declutter your home. Of course, for me, any time is a good time to declutter, at least that’s what my husband reminds me.
You might also try painting a birdhouse to welcome our feathered friends or planting milkweed to see the caterpillars grow, which will soon become monarch butterflies.
With temperatures so high, perhaps an indoor arts and crafts project would be a fun activity instead. I enjoy diamond art kits. Since I’m not the steadiest painter, I used to do paint-by-number kits, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see the results; the diamond art kits are a great substitute.
The summer is filled with special celebrations. Listed below are just a few of them:
- Foster a Pet Month - June
- National Flip Flop Day – June 20th
- Summer Solstice – June 21st
- National Ice Cream Month - July
- National Hot Dog Day – July 16th
- National Sandcastle Day – August 2nd
- National Dog Day – August 26th
When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere. A tilted axis causes different seasons on Earth. As the North Pole tilts toward the Sun, the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing summer. As I studied geography in school (all those years ago), it challenged my understanding, as it seemed to be the opposite of what I thought it would be.
Have a fun and safe summer wherever you plan to vacation. One of the most important things is to make memories.
All my best,
Julie
Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti