Somehow it’s already *checks calendar* July 23rd and we are just over a month away from the beginning of the school year here. Summer is well and truly flying, and it’s more than a full-time job ferrying kids to and from activities, attempting to meet everyone’s social needs (definitely #momfailing that one all the way home…) and FEEDING THEM. My goodness, I am thankful for those free school lunches and just plain old packed school lunches when they can’t ask me for another sandwich, another orange, another cookie, or another handful of crackers because they are a mile away from the pantry!
Anyhow I often think of blogging these days and sigh because I don’t have time to put together a well-researched, beautifully photographed post during the summer. But I hate falling out of the habit of writing. So last night I told myself, “just get something written.” A few of my favorite things from July and our end-of-summer plans. That’s doable, so that’s what I’m doing.
Favorite recipe: These healthy double chocolate zucchini muffins. We’re picking tons of zucchini from the garden lately and when they get too big to be good eating plain, I bake. This recipe is a winner with the kids!
Favorite read: A tie between The Christmas Bookshop (a birthday gift from my grandma last year) and Elegantly Chic on a Budget. I don’t usually do fiction but Jenny Colgan is fun. And who doesn’t love a fresh Fiona Ferris book?! I feel like a little girl who just got served a surprise cupcake whenever she releases a new e-book.
Favorite summerwear: This top which ticks all my style boxes. Comfy, entirely cotton, a little feminine flair and a color I love. Also loose enough to not sweat in, as we’ve been a heat wave paired with extreme humidity lately. I love it untucked and also tucked into cropped pants with a belt!
Favorite habit: Recently I’ve been visiting the church commons close to our house for a little peace and quiet on an afternoon. There’s a lovely green space outside with benches, and there’s hardly ever anyone there. We don’t attend that church (we’re not regulars anywhere at the moment, although finding a church home is a goal of mine) but it’s a beautiful contemplative spot.
Life updates: I don’t usually post about the kids, but I will share that my oldest learned to ride a bike recently and is loving the freedom and mobility that brings! I’m proud of him!
(In two-year-old news, my toddler TRIED ZUCCHINI at dinner tonight and LIKED IT, which is possibly even more exciting than the biking?! Stay tuned to see if he ever eats a vegetable besides carrot sticks again.)
Eric and I have also been consistently working out lately and it feels fantastic (3-4x/week). We usually pick a HASFit strength workout or a Lemon Yoga routine if sleep has been rough. No, I’m not pregnant–I just really like her channel!
We are also headed to Colorado before summer’s end! We are making some fun, kid-friendly plans for our visit and I’m hoping to share some of it on the blog. We’re so familiar with the Boulder area–we’ll be staying with Eric’s parents–and I’m looking forward to showing the kids some of Eric’s and our favorite places. My two youngest have never visited, and the older two only once.
In recent years I understand what my parents were trying to do when they brought us to Europe, drove for an entire day to bring us to my grandpa’s cottage in Ontario every other summer, and even visited West Lafayette, Indiana (where my dad grew up) frequently. I enjoy Colorado in its own right–and I also feel the need to pass onto my kids these memories, this knowledge of where they came from, relationships with their grandparents. To feel rooted in your family heritage, both recent and ancient, helps you see yourself as part of a much larger story that has existed for eternity and will continue long after you are gone.
xx Claire