Summer Time

As the song says... “School’s out for summer!”  It is a beautiful feeling for kids, and can lead to full-on panic mode for parents.  How in the world do we keep these kids busy ALL SUMMER?  Well, summer is in fact only 90-some-odd days (depending on when your kids officially finish the school year) and by day 50, you will be thinking, “Oh my god, we have less than half of the summer left. Where did the time go?”  Don’t wait any longer. Start to schedule your memory makers now.

Memory makers are the events/moments in your kids' lives that they will never forget.  You know, like that perfect Christmas gift from Santa! I can vividly recall some of my favorite sometimes memories. I will never forget our family trips to Yosemite and Camp Curry, slip-N-sliding on the Sweats' lawn, sneaking people into the drive-in movie, whitewater rafting down the American River, and camping in my dad’s backyard.  I could go on and on with lists like this, but I think you get the gist.  Don’t let the summer pass by without some wildly spontaneous moments, or better yet, some well planned activities that will forever be cemented in the “BEST DAY EVER” column of your kid's brain. 

Summer activities could come in the form of a surprise late night movie on a Tuesday night,  or even more exciting, setting up a white sheet in your backyard to create you own drive-in movie experience (boy I miss those!) It could be that uber camping trip with several families where the kids have bikes and the adults have paddle boards...or just tents in the backyard...yay toys and s’mores for everyone. Or that first lemonade stand you helped your kids build to set up with the garage sale. It could be a summer slumber party for a "half birthday" celebration (and isn't it so much easier to tackle that in the summer than during the school year.) It could be signing your kid up for the camp of their dreams, even if they won’t recognize it as one of the best summer memories ever until they try it.  And nothing says fun like the random neighborhood cannonball contest.

So why not just start, host that BBQ you’ve been meaning to put together.  Don’t put so much pressure on yourself, send out the invites and ask people to bring things.  Food is good, but the company is better and that's what you'll remember.

Summertime is about FUN.  Some of it will happen on its own, but this is your friendly reminder that some of it needs to be scheduled.  Don’t wait until day 56 and panic, look through your family bucket list and start marking stuff off over the next few months.  There is no time like the present, or as my dad always said, “Life is a party only most damn fools don’t know they are invited!” Well, my friends, you are invited!