Summer Life Energy List

It's been a bit since I was regularly blogging.  I hate using the word busy but I will say, obviously, that blogging hasn't been a priority the past two weeks.  Last week was an extra short week of school with Monday off for Labor Day and Friday off for diocesan in-service (teacher meetings/training). So even though that made for a crazy week, it gave us a longer weekend to go up to the lake and bring home the jet ski for the summer!

It feels like a bit of a stretch to still be calling this time of year "summer" with school having started almost a month ago and Labor Day past.  But we've hit over 90° this week and I am currently typing this in the AC because outside is just hot and muggy.  Even though it's mid-September.  Summer can't seem it make up its mind if it's here or not (when we were pulling out the jet ski it was 60° and overcast, the weather has mood swings).

Since we don't consider summer over until the jet ski is home, now feels like about the right time to reflect on the summer.  I had meant to do this last week but the time just didn't work out but today's 88° heat index feels more appropriate anyways!  I did one of these in May for spring and it was interesting going back to read these to see how much has changed and how much hasn't!

Summer 2019 Life Energy List
1) Getting in time to read (after working out and showering) before the boys were up.
2) Actual real quiet time, when the house was quiet (super rare).
3) Getting in a morning run before it got hot.
4) Sam sleeping through the night (we had A LOT of sleep problems from him this summer, we blame teeth).
5) When the temps were bearable enough to turn off the AC for a few days.

6) Fresh berries on sale.

7) Doing some bonus fun outing with the boys every week.
8) Using my planner, it saved me a lot of thinking this summer!

9) A freezer full of ice cream and/or popsicles.
10) When I could mostly stay off my phone during the day.
11) A habit of reading books to Luke as soon as Sam went down to a nap.
12) Getting Sam down to just one nap a day, made scheduling easier!
13) Putting aside to-do lists for family bike rides; we missed those last summer!

14) Going to bed early.
15) Taking care of back-to-school shopping before the last minute so we could really enjoy Luke's last week at home with us.
16) Target drive-up order pick-up.  I've mentioned this multiple times but SO HELPFUL.
17) Getting an actual date with Matt; one we've been talking about for months!
18) American Ninja Warrior in the evenings with Luke - always nice to have a bribe to get bathtime to go well and quick.
19) No school alarms, no before school rush and after school stress, no homework, no lunches to pack.
20) Seeing morning glories on the backyard trellis when I open the kitchen blinds in the morning.

Writing these lists at the end of a season helps me say goodbye to what we are leaving behind and to move onto the next season.  I have more of these little rituals than I previously realized but they all help the seasonal transition.  Here's to fall and maybe slightly more fall like temps soon!

Spring 2019 Life Energy List