There’s a little more than a week until I send my kids back to school. I’d like to tell you I’m one of those moms pining away for more summer but I’m not. Maybe if I didn’t have to go back to work earlier this month I’d being trying to fit in one more trip; to squeeze in one last adventure. But truth be told, my kids have spend quite a few hours entertaining themselves since August hit and I think they’re ready, too.
I was helping my daughter sort through her school supplies a few days ago and started to remember back to my school days. There was no social media then. There were no cell phones, texting, snap chatting…you had to ride your bike to Jennifer’s house if you wanted to see her. So back to school was all about catching up on summer. Where did you go? What did you do? And then there were the “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” essays. Remember those? Do teachers still assign those? We always huffed and puffed like it was a chore but truthfully, it was always fun to hear what everyone had been doing.
So in the spirit of back to school, but in the buzzfeed fill-in-the-blank-style of today…
How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Tamara Lexow
Reading: I read lots of books but my favorite was “The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brene Brown. Y’all, this book is so good. Like, change your life good. It’s all about letting go of the ideals we have all placed on ourselves to be something we aren’t and embracing who God has created us to be. I highly recommend it but make sure to give yourself time. This isn’t a sit down and read the whole thing in an afternoon kind of book. And it’s not a beach read. You may, if you’re like me, need to sit it down for a few days here and there to absorb the simple truths Brown offers. Good stuff.
Watching: I spent the early part of summer watching ESPN’s special on OJ Simpson. I think it was five parts. Charlie and I watched them after the kids went to bed. If you remember where you were when the police chased the white Ford Bronco then you’ll understand why this series is not for kids. It went into so much of the story that I had no clue about when it all went down in 1994. Gory, gruesome, but a story more about human nature and less about murder.
Now I’m watching the Olympics with the rest of the world.
Crafting: If you call putting a house together crafting then I’ve done a lot of that this summer. We moved into our new house in May and I’ve been unpacking, hanging pictures, planting new flowers, trimming trees….getting settled.
Loving: Our new puppy, Ron Burgundy. Charlie finally conceded and let me get a puppy for my birthday. I wanted to go the opposite direction of our dearly departed Frank the Tank. Frank was a Great Dane/Mastiff mix and weighed in around 160. Ron Burgundy is a Maltipoo and is expected to max out around 8 pounds. He is adorable.
Listening: I’ve spent the summer rehearing the hits of my high school days. Lots of Guns-N-Roses, Bon Jovi, Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks…
Drinking: Wine. Too. Much. Wine.
Eating: Out. This needs to slow down because my waistline is starting to show the damage.
Celebrating: I ushered in the final year of my 3rd decade on July 4th. I plan to make 39 the year I become the best version of myself yet. Actually, that’s my plan every year and most of the time I succeed. I’m always trying to be a better human. Except the year I turned 31. I took that year off.
Improving: Grace. I’m making efforts in giving more grace – to myself and to others – and grace with, well, grace.
Traveling: Charlie and I didn’t travel anywhere this summer. (See Crafting above) The kids traveled a lot but I was very content nesting in the new house with my love. He’s pretty dreamy so I don’t care where we are as long as we are together.
How about you? How did you spend your summer vacation?
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