School Prep – Part 1 of 3: Soaking Up Summer

Dear Friends,
As summer comes to an end, we have an incredible opportunity to end summer well and to begin school well. I hope you enjoy these next 3 blogs as some of my dear friends talk about how they prepare their own hearts for the school year.
~ Julie S. 

I realize I could be in the minority, but I am truly sad to realize summer is winding to an end. Don’t get me wrong, there have been plenty of days I’ve looked at my 4 kids and thought to myself, where are you, August?? My kids have recently started to look at me and I can see it in their eyes….they know my bag of summer tricks is almost empty! Perhaps boredom has set in—and let’s face it, TV time which was very limited in June, has suddenly become a very acceptable ‘activity’!

“Oh your playing basketball on the Xbox? That totally counts as physical movement! You’re right, your fingers do look tired!”
“It’s too hot outside? I agree, let’s see what on Netflix, I’m sure we can find something educational! Wipe out? Perfect!”
But don’t you worry kids, Mom’s got a new bag of tricks for these lasts few weeks!!!!

You see, the thing I love the most about summer, is the white space it provides. Let me explain. White space is free time, it’s no schedule, no agenda, no plan really. Sure, we have things we are going to accomplish each day, but it’s not FULL of activities! White space allows us to be us. It is less quantity and more quality.

So, I am vowing to soak up the last bits of summer! Before homework hits, Tuesday folders, theme dress-up days at school (which I totally forgot about until 7:30 AM)…I will soak up summer.
Before packing lunches, trying not to be tardy, being tardy, and arguing with the girls over the perfect pair of shoes to wear, only to find the perfect pair, then discover you are missing the mate…I will soak up summer.
Before after school activities, church activities, and having to schedule an activity to not have an activity…I will soak up summer!

Soaking up summer means more US time! More family movie nights, more American Ninja warrior courses in the backyard, more late night ice cream runs because we can, more pool days with friends, a couple more sleepovers, one last getaway if we can squeeze one in, more pizza for breakfast (because it’s a bit more acceptable in the summer for some reason), more lazy mornings with nowhere to be….

We live the majority of our life on a schedule; sometimes the best place to be is nowhere at all…

I will soak up SUMMER!!!

This post was written by Kristen Wright.