Ever since we had Reagan, I have staked that that summer was the best ever, but every summer does just keep getting better and better! I feel that every summer, I get my Mama Mojo and we take on more and more kid adventures. Every year Tony gives me a huge eye roll when I ask "what do you want to do this summer?" I guess I don't blame him...
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| Swimming at Lords Park Pool |
I tell people all of the time that I have the best job in the world. Teaching is very rewarding and I truly love it. I can't complain...I get about 4 months a year off People! Let's not lie, I have earned it! When the summer comes, I do feel that full relaxation of not "working", even if I did work 17 full days this summer, which is a lot in teacher world I like to call summertime for teachers, "working lite", because I can't help but check my emails, or my Twitter, or pin 500 teacher ideas on Pinterest. I can't complain about "working lite" because it gives me some time to reflect too.
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| Aunties |
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Primrose Farm
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In the summer, I can stay up late, I can make plans on a weeknight, I can do my grocery shopping anytime I want, I can binge watch the Today show till 10am, while drinking 2, yes 2 cups of coffee, and the best part...I can pee when ever the hell that I want to! (This is a true teacher problem!) This summer, I probably should have done more reading, and working out, and more library trips, and more healthy cooking, and more cleaning of the house. AND... I think that I spent a little too much time drinking wine, and snapchatting, and watching the Bachlorette, and I probably ate way too much guacamole, and let Reagan spend too much time on the iPad, and spent too much money, but we lived life too!
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Molly Swimming in the Fox River
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Ears Pierced!
Prior summers were fun, but I feel that I was either pregnant, breastfeeding, worrying about nap schedules, or working my two other jobs. This summer, we still consider the naps because they are ESSENTIAL! But now, Braelyn is finally potty trained, and I am able to throw them some fruit snacks, and juice boxes and we are off for our adventures. They are both at such a curious age and I feel that they can actually appreciate all of the hard work that goes into these adventures. Other summers, we would lug everything to the zoo. You parents know; stroller, sunscreen, breast pump, 40 diapers, wipes, bottles, snacks, formula powder, baby water, 3 tops, 3 bottoms, umbrella, 50 toys, 2 sunhats, and the babies! Then, when do you leave? Nap is at 10-12, then there is the 3-4 nap, then bed time, but we don't want to sit in rush hour traffic, but we have to be back for bottle number 5 cause we have no more milk! (Sorry Casey...) All that so that we could say we were being "great parents" and "taking our kids out for these "grand" experiences"...how foolish we were to think that they would remember even a bit of all of that, or all of the preparation that we did!
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| Cousin Love! |
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| Jammie Walk |
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| First Fire in our Firepit! |
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| Camping for one night! |
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White Sox Game
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I am going to try to enjoy these summers because I know that in not too many years, my girls will not want to go to the zoo, or to the farm, or to the movie in the park, or camping in the living room. Just like all well-rounded pre-teenagers/teenagers they will want us to take some expensive airplane ride to some white beach far away, so that they can put headphones on, and try to ignore that we are their parents. I know soon enough that there will be summers that it will just be Tony and I going to the zoo again, because they will be working, or off with their friends, or moved out. I want to enjoy this time now. So till that day comes, I will continue to make lists every summer that we want to accomplish, and I will try not to forget "Tony and I time" in those adventures, and we will do our best to check them off because sometimes the list doesn't get completely checked off.
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| New Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier |
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| Baba and Grandpa |
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| Touch the Pacific! |
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| 4th of July Parade |
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Beauty and the Beast at Festival Park |
This summer was unique. I think that I reflected a lot about living life to the fullest! I wanted this summer to be about "Carpe Diem". I want to enjoy my children, my husband, my family, our friends. This summer solidified that we love our little family of 4, and as much as I cherish all of the beautiful babies that we get to love in our life, that "my" babies will always be in these two spunky little girls that we have been blessed with. Unfortunately,"the best summer ever" is almost over. Thank you to everyone that joined us on these crazy adventures, and let me know what you want us to put on the list for next year!
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| Swimmin' time! |
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| Date Night at ENLL |
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| Anniversary Dinner |
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| Uncle Bret's Baseball Game |
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| Strawberry Picking |
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| Boat Races |
