The Summer of Doing

Straight up, I’m a lazy mom. Part of it stems from actual, genuine laziness and the other half stems from not wanting to over schedule my kids. While I want my kids to develop talents and find their passions, I don’t want them burt out by the age of 10. I truly believe in boredom. Boredom breeds creativity and problem solving! I’ve seen it a million times. The downside is that boredom can also breed fighting and whining. So there you have it, the good and the bad, the yin and yang.

The other part of my laziness stems from the fact that outings are a bigger deal these days. Outings were easy when I only had 1 or even 2 kids. But three kids, including a toddler and a non walker with a power chair? And we always have to bring the double stroller just in case. So between normal mom-outing-packing-up I also have to schlep a power chair and a double stroller, while still carrying one child (sometimes 2) to the car, buckling two carseats and well the thought alone can be exhausting.

But I used to be an outings mom. Outings were my jam. I wasn’t the sit and play dolls mom or let me push you on the swing forever mom, but outings I could do.

What I’m trying to say is that despite my laziness and not wanting over scheduled kids and the being-tired-just-thinking-of-going-somewhere, I decided that this would be THE SUMMER OF DOING.

Apparently this decree worked because DOING is exactly what we have been doing.

There have been early morning visits to Washington Park for activities and splash pads…

Yoga with the girls…

and the making of boo-boo bags.

We’ve ridden a horse named Cowboy (thanks Joni!)…

Taken selfies at the zoo…

And paid our respects to Harambe.

We’ve pic-niked at playgrounds..

Biked with cousins in Pittsburgh…

And reconnect with old friends in San Antonio.

But honestly, so much of our summer of doing has been right in our backyard. Post dinner dance parties introducing Zuzu to the ever popular London Bridges…

Backyard nature hunts collecting moths and feathers…

And FINALLY having our first real family garden.

Plane rides, road trips, lessons, outings, activities…we’ve been DOING.

I hope this all doesn’t feel like a humble (or not-so-humble) brag because it’s really not about that. I’ve had many a summer (or season of my life) where just living life in the day to day was more than enough and almost more than I could handle. Resources–time, money, energy and even desire–fluctuate. Things change, kids change, people and situations change. This summer feels like a summer of possibility and of grabbing the bull by the horns, so I’m trying my best to do just that.

And in all this DOING what I’m really trying to DO is be present with my kids. Make memories that I hope will last a long time. Of course I know they can’t keep them all–the memories that is–but regardless of what they actually remember, I hope that with each action there is an imprint somewhere on their mind or heart that stays with them that says, we did all this because we love you. Please know that where ever you go, whoever you meet and whatever you do, you were first and foremost cherished and loved for doing nothing at all but existing and being your perfectly imperfect selves. No strings attached, you were and will always be loved. 

Presents and stuff are fine, but experiences are the real currency of love. At least I think so. And trust me when I say I make plenty of negative draws on their emotional bank accounts–I am far from an ideal mother. But I’ll keep trying. And this summer, trying looks an awful lot like doing.

To the SUMMER OF DOING.
Huzzah!