Summers are filled with a lot of wonderful and fun-filled opportunities and activities. I thought I would share with you the list of what my children are involved with this summer.
- Vacation Bible School – Nope
- T Ball – Nope
- Swimming Lessons – Nope
- Soccer Camp – Nope
- YMCA Camp – Nope
- Dance Camp – Nope
- Gymnastics – Nope
- Nature Camp – Nope
- Community Ed. Camps / Classes – Nope
- Basketball Camp – Nope
- Church Camp – Nope
- 8pm bedtime – Nope
- Summer bucket lists that are full – Nope
Now you may think, Christy, you forgot to check off the list. I didn’t.
Looking at this from the outside perspective, it would appear that my husband and I are lazy and not creating fun for our kids. To be honest, when I look at the list, I start to think that I am lazy. But, our goal is the opposite. It is quite the contrary. Life is not about checking off boxes on a list. Our hope is to be intentional with the things that tend to fall between the lines.
Such as:
- Rest
- Relaxation
- Rejuvenation
- Rejoicing
- Relationships
- Recreation
Why is it, that so many times when we cram our schedules with the first list, we don’t experience any of the second list? I am not saying the first list is wrong. This is the first summer our family has taken this approach. Being two months into summer, I can not express what I have come to realize through this big decision that goes against the cultural norm of busyness with a full schedule. Therefore, we understand that saying “no” to certain things has allowed us to say “YES” to so much more.
For instance, we have said “yes” to hosting a family over for dinner and s’mores. We have said “yes” to going to a cabin for 5 days TOGETHER. We have said “yes” to boating two days a week, on the weekend. We have said “yes” to being outside all day long. 12 hours of quality time in the sun, being with our crew. We have said “yes” to a day at the zoo with buddies. We have said “yes” to a day of rest at home. We have said “yes” to impromptu strawberry picking. We have said “yes” to staying consistent in church attendance and volunteering. We get to say “yes” to naps.
First of all, our family is on a 45/15 school year schedule, which means my daughter already started school.
We have 6 weeks, people. 6 weeks to live it up, take in the summer days, play in the sand, stay up late, and play. With August being a school month, we are still in summer mode outside of school, trying to take full advantage of the Minnesota season.
Secondly, we have FREE DAYS.
- Days to swim.
- Boat.
- Play.
- Sleep.
- Host friends and family.
- Travel.
- Field trip days.
- Date nights. (Can I hear an AMEN?)
- Hang in our neighborhood.
- Catch fireflies.
- Read.
- Create.
I have always jammed in all of these fun things into our summer, but often end our season feeling tired, burnt out, and just exhausted.
I want summer to be like it was when I was a kid. I love that my kids can play and live it up with the neighbors.
Sprinklers.
From sun up to sun down.
Literally.
Every day.
I love not having to run them to place to place and “kill time” until I pick them up.
I get to be with them and plan fun play dates and be spontaneous, instead of running around town.
This has been an experiment. We will reevaluate this next summer. But, I think we already know the answer though. We are big fans of activities and sports. I plan on signing up my girls for swimming and a sport in the fall. Most of all, this is something that has been stirring in my mama heart.
- To stop.
- To soak up my 3- and 6-year-olds.
- To laugh again.
- To swim again and not feel like I am drowning.
Being a business owner, I have the luxury of having my own schedule. To be honest, it often ends up being a disadvantage. But, this year has been a season of me creating boundaries and not chasing money. Therefore, I want to chase my girls’ little wild hearts and love my husband. I want to reach people. I want to have enough to offer to others to and save time for my best “YES.”
What is your approach to summer? Routines? Schedules? I would love to hear your thoughts on this philosophy.
Join us and remember, you have our permission to be lazy!
Christy
