Today starts the beginning of a series of posts called “What Works for Me Wednesday!” I always love getting ideas from other women and moms. Ideas for cooking, cleaning, organizing, ect. We are always growing, learning, and changing. What works for me today didn’t work for me and my family even a year ago. We have to adapt.
It is the end of the school year for us. Come Friday the kids will be out for summer vacation! Every year I think I am going to get totally prepared for summer. That I’m going to make a chore chart, bucket list, have all my summer camps calendared, and the list of my ambitions goes on. But guess what?! It NEVER happens. Because it is MAY people!!! I loved this image I saw:
May. The busiest time of year for our kids. We have been playing baseball non-stop. I counted 13 games one week! We were in Pocatello three times, Idaho Falls two, and Rexburg eight! (Does that add up to 13? I’m spent.) Anyway, add that onto the end of year testing, activities, field trips, and concerts. I’ve been struggling to plan my day let alone my summer!
May. The busiest time of year for our business. Everyone wants their lawns mowed, fertilized, and sprayed for weeds! They want their sprinklers on ASAP, shrubs trimmed, bark hauled, landscaping completed, and oh, by the way, “Can you be there tomorrow?” Ha Ha! Our favorite question. “Sure! Why Not!?” Oh wait…..first the wind has to stop blowing, it has to stop raining, and it has to stop freezing. Idaho weather. You just never know…..
May. Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother’s Day. Who planned those in May?! And right in the same week! I love to acknowledge my kid’s teachers! They deserve it! And I love to honor my mom, mother-in-law, grandmother, and all the other wonderful women in my life! I want to shower them with love and appreciation, and I do my very best, but the only showering that is happening is my own. I refuse to let that one go.
This article about this topic was SPOT ON!
What Works For Me:
Take A Breath
Thus, the summer “prep” doesn’t happen. We are just crawling to get to the end of the month. Here’s the link to one of my favorite “end of the year” articles.
I have tried to get all prepped.
It didn’t work.
I have tried to follow a Summer Camp Checklist.
My kids revolted.
I have beat myself up for not being totally ready to roll right into the summer routines and schedules.
It wasn’t helpful.
Last year I listened to THIS podcast. Rachel and Jamie gave some great tips on how to “Make Summer the Best Ever.” When I was ready I took their 3 takeaways into account, but the best advice I took from this episode was to “ease into summer.” It was just what I needed to hear.
We took a few days to just relax. This year we will do the same.The kids are tired of the rigid schedule, and although I thrive on a schedule, I am tired of it too. We’ll sleep in, clean out backpacks, and enjoy a little down time. We’ll talk about what we want to do for the summer, made a simple bucket-list, and ease into our “new normal”
Happy last week of school!!!
Next week: What worked for us AFTER we took a breath!
