Summer Days

I love the summer. I love the suspended pace.  We have a rhythm to our days but no urgent schedule. I love the long days and good, fresh summer food. I feel like I eat so healthily in the summer. [Until about 10:00pm when I eat like a bear going into hibernation. If a bear going into hibernation ate chocolate.] The truth is I heartily enjoy vegetables but sugar is like kryptonite to me.

Anyway, it just seems like things are finally starting to get easier. The kids are playing well together and Elliot is being so affectionate. Whereas just a few weeks ago he was so defiant and most of what came out of his mouth was foul language (no kidding), now he says, “mom, I love you SOOOOOOO much!” or “oh, mom, I love your skirt.” He is very cute with his compliments. I’m surprised by what he notices. I have a feeling he is going to be quite the ladies man. He only tries to mortally wound Anwoo a handful of times a day, which is a vast improvement over his previous non-stop attacks. Even though I think preschool was a great experience for both of them, it was exhausting and left them both sort of cranky afterwards. Now that preschool is over they seem less ornery and there is a better, happier spirit in our house.

So this is how our summer is settling out so far: On Mondays I load Andrew and Elliot into the jogging stroller and Oliver gets on his bike and we all head over to a park for “Summer Running Club.” Summer Running Club is the brainchild of my friend Amy. She made little punch cards for each of the kids to track their laps around the park. One lap is roughly 1/4 mile. Oliver already ran 5 miles! Elliot has only gotten 6 holes punched which means he’s done 1.5 miles over the course of 3 weeks, mostly walking and holding my hand. The kids are developing healthy habits and setting goals. I love it!

On Tuesdays and Thursdays we go jogging on the trails with some friends for what Oliver calls “Mom Running Club”. I am training for the Napa Valley Ragnar, a relay race in September from SF to Calistoga. You would think with all this running and vegetable eating I would be one svelte momma. You would be wrong. Perhaps there is some correlation with my late-night sweets consumption.

On Wednesdays we often go on an excursion with friends from church to a museum or the zoo or some other field trip destination. Last week we went to the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley.  Today they went to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, but skipped that because we went with Ryan not too long ago. Next week we are going to take the ferry into SF which should be quite exciting.

On Fridays we go to the park or do nothing at all. And one of those days we have summer art group.

   

We are just as occupied but it seems less busy or routine. It feels like every day is an opportunity to have a fresh adventure or do nothing at all but enjoy each other’s company.  It seems like things have just settled into place and we’ve found a good pace. I’m hoping I can sustain it.