The Sunday Reset
Our new summer routine, and what's in my pool bag
Maycember is finally coming to close around here and I’ll be honest, I am tired. Along with two immediate family birthdays, we’ve had end-of-school events, awards ceremonies, birthday parties, class parties, Mother’s Day, and other things I’m sure I’ve forgotten because my brain has short-circuited more times than I can count. So I’m actually really counting on this Sunday reset to reset me. Let’s do this together.
Summer has officially started in our house now and I’ve got all three kids home with me, I’m going to share what I’m preparing for, and what’s going to hopefully save our summer. I still have child-care on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I see clients, the rest of the week, I’ve got all the kids with me! First up is our pool bag. I packed this last week to put in the trunk as a “just in case” because in the past I’ve been left “high and dry” but actually “high and wet” with no bathing suits, no towels, no change of clothes, and soaking wet children from running through the splash pad on a 95 degree day. I digress.
So what are we packing? I’m going to influence but also de-influence you on a large LLBean tote. I got myself for my wedding 11 years ago, and I still use the same one. I put in towels, a bathing suit for each child AND myself, and then our bag of sunscreen, pool hair spray, a brush, and some bug spray. If you know me, then you know I’m quite the minimalist. I probably wont be the Mom with bandaids at the park, but I’ll be with someone that has them!!
This bag stays in the car unless we are using it, and once we do, I’ll bring it in the house to wash, dry and repack the bag. Then it goes right back in the trunk for the next time. I do this because I like to be spontaneous in the summer. I like to get a text that says, “Wanna come over and swim?” and be able to be on our way !! There are so many decisions I have to make throughout the year, so this helps to take some of these away. The day of, I always pack snacks and water and the diaper bag, because oh yeah, I’ve got a toddler again !!
Another thing that is being reset this week is our schedule.
We have a couple of weeks before we leave Texas for the summer and we desperately need a new routine. I’ve probably said it on the podcast before, but we are a “no screens during the week” family. I grew up like this, and this works for our family while kids are in school. We usually let them watch TV in the mornings on the weekends when Dave and I are reading, but now that there’s no school? They want to watch TV every morning. I also have early risers, like 5:30 early risers. Dave and I are also early risers, but we like to be without kids when we wake up to drink our coffee and read in peace. Ha! That doesn’t work when the whole house wakes up at 5:30. I’m trying to encourage our kids to sleep in, so I don’t want them to be excited to watch TV in the morning. we have implemented (starting today) that until 7:00am, it is quiet or reading time. You can be up, but you must choose a quiet activity. It could be reading or playing. Nora will play with her toys (not that quietly) but she bops around. It’s only day 1, So I’ll update you as the summer goes on. My hope is that it encourages them to sleep in! Or, at least let us have a quiet start to the day.
I will also keep a morning walk, because I need my sanity and movement. Nora and I usually walk in the mornings when the girls leave for school, so now, I will bring the girls along and they can scooter or bike. Some days we’ll head off to the gym and the girls can go to childcare while I work out and then we can all go to the pool unless we have other plans with friends. We’ll come home for Nora’s naptime, and then probably do another activity in the afternoon ! Thats what i’ve got so far and I think having a loose schedule will help us have guidelines but nothing set in stone. I’m not someone who likes a strict schedule but I do need a consistent rhythm.
What does everyone else’s summer look like? Is it pretty similar to the school year? or completely different? Ours looks completely different in the summer, and I’m excited for the change !