Summer comes and summer goes. It seems like there is such a long break between school years, but it’s really only a matter of weeks if you really think about it. I have a lot of teacher friends and I get jealous every year when they start counting down to their summer break. I don’t get one of those. Sure, I have some vacation time, but it’s not nearly as much as I’d like. So, I have to make the most of the summers to ensure that I am resting and getting geared up for the new school year.
This summer I came up with some things that I want to do:
1. Make pickles.
OK, this probably sounds wierd, but it’s the truth. My son and I have had conversations about how pickles are made and I made the comment a few months ago that when he is on summer break we’d make some pickles from scratch to see how cucumbers turn into delicious pickles. I haven’t don this one yet, but need to get on it so the summer doesn’t get away from us.
2. Make a cake with homemade fondant.
This one takes time. I have a birthday coming up and my blog will be 4, so I’m thinking of using those excuses to make this cake. I want to try a fondant recipe to make, instead of buying it pre-made. I also want to try a painting technique on the fondant. It wouldn’t be for a party or anything — in case it doesn’t turn out.
3. Teach my kids to swim.
Living in Florida it’s imperative that children learn to swim so I did the painstaking work of getting them enrolled in swim lessons for the summer. We get up and out the door about an hour before we are used to in order to be at the pool early enough to get in a 30 minute swim lesson, get changed and get the kids to school and me to work.
So far, these are the mornings that I have been enjoying the most. It’s cool and breezy that early in the a.m. and I love seeing the kids thrive in the pool. After just 10 lessons my 2 year old jumped off the big diving board and swam to the side of the pool. As a mother, that was hard to watch the first time she did it, but it was amazing to see that she did!
I love the feeling of summertime I get from being near a pool.
4. Turn 40.
OK, I don’t want to turn 40, but it’s inevitable. I want to embrace this new age and live life the way I envision it.
5. Take a vacation!
Use some of that vacation time that I have earned this year. I’ve been working pretty hard at work. It’s good. I like busy. I like a challenge, but I believe in breaks.
We’re taking time to see the last space shuttle take off: something we should have done years ago. We’ll hit the beach, probably do Disney before our passes run out and just relax and enjoy doing whatever we want.
What’s on your summertime to-do list?
Photo credit: porah
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If you have never made pickles before, try a refrigerator pickle recipe. I canned pickles last year, and the opinion was that they weren’t “dilly” enough. sweet pickles seem to be easier. Good luck!