The First Third of Summer Always Catching Me By Surprise

There were only five kids here for dinner last night. Everyone else was scattered hither and yon--working, climbing, and, mostly, camping. (Jesse at High Adventure. Gold and Pen at Young Womens' camp.)

Summer is already a third of the way over and this seems to be primarily what the story has been: Part or all of us packing up to go somewhere; someone or other gone all week; unpacking; and then repacking someone else. ("Can I take the good sleeping pad?" "Where are all of our life jackets? None of these ones fit!" "Did you remember a flashlight?" "Do you really need to have a rash guard?" "I'm supposed to bring cash for lunch." "You'll probably want at least one pair of long pants.") Goblin Valley, FSY for Penny and Jesse, then FSY for Goldie, now High Adventure and Girls' camp, next Bear Lake.

Back in May, when summer vacation was just over the next hill, it seemed we were approaching an enormous blank swath of empty time. In fact it felt a little overwhelming. Months of unplanned hours that I needed to diligently fill with math practice sheets and family projects (going through drawers and shoe boxes, cleaning windows, etc.), encouraging younger kids to begin learning piano with Daisy and finding activities to keep people productive. 

Instead, in the fleeting days between these comings and goings we seem to just be catching our breath--sure we will get into the routine of summer--that summer will likely be starting in earnest-- ... probably next week.

And yet here we are.

It's never until the end of June that, with a shock, I realize it: while I've been waiting for summer and all the productive things I felt obligated to make a part of it to officially get underway (just as soon as we get back from this first adventure or just as soon as this week of getting kids off here or there is managed), summer has just blithely begun of it's own volition! And it appears to be made up of, surprise surprise, ... all the things that we've actually been doing.

And what we've been doing, it turns out, isn't actually a very bad way to spend a summer. (Even if there have only been a total of about six practice math pages completed, and nobody newly learning the piano. 😬)

Goldie let Mette help plan, in secret, a "Sisters' Party" at the beginning of summer. The two of them made invitations, snuck off to the store together to buy treats and party supplies--never divulging what the night's activities were to be to their sisters; just telling them the time to show up and what to be wearing (pajamas). They ended up baking a treat Mette had chosen at the store, painting bird houses (they kindly let Hans join them for this one small part of sisters' night), and watching a movie out on the trampoline (youngest sister did not get to stay up for that part of it!). I think the fun of secretly planning something with Goldie was actually the best part of the whole business for Mette.

Our Founder's Day weekend, luckily, landed right between weeks of comings and goings for our kids. The high school marching band's line up spot happened to be one of the spots right outside of our house this year, so the kids spent most of the morning before the parade out in the front yard excitedly watching parade goers walking by as trumpets and drums practiced. 

(Penny was in the parade with the city youth council.)

We did a few sparklers and pop-its in our backyard while we waited for the city's big firework show (which we can watch right from our yard) to begin.

And, to end, Abe has taken to leaving labels on all sorts of things around the house. Here are two recent ones:

(Like his father before him, he despises mayo and ranch dressing. A loss for them both.)

And here are a few scenes from the Book of Mormon my little kids recently drew:

Hans:

Anders:

Summer:

Mette: 

The End.