Endless Summer Nights (and Days)

Remember the blog project I did in 2010 with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!

This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: It is summer. Do you dread the hot, humid days that can lack structure or do you relish the slower pace? Or is it just another day?

Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock

There are a few things I look forward to in the summer...namely 4th of July, my birthday and wearing sandals. I used to look forward to having Fridays off from work, but that has changed this year, even though we do get out a little earlier. So summer will not be a three-month long vacation for me. It's just any other time of year, but hot, with some festivities in the middle. It's not like I have a break to look forward to like I did when I was in school.

Then there's Shabbat. Since the sun sets later, it doesn't start until closer to the kids' bedtime. Then it doesn't end until after their bedtime either. It also means going out after it ends isn't really an option because it's so late that it's not worth doing anything. We're not the partying type anymore, so we just watch movies or catch up on "The Big Bang Theory" after Shabbat. The hardest part is filling the middle of the day for our kids. They get restless and bored after a while and sometimes all we want to do is sleep. We do find play dates, but it's hard to make plans when you can't call people first. I'm not complaining though. I like the break from technology. Once a month, we host a gathering on Shabbat afternoon for our friends. It's fun to have people over for a few hours and catch up with friends. Plus, the kids can play outside, so less mess inside!

My favorite summer treat is ice cream, but I eat that all the time, so it doesn't get associated with summer as much anymore. Then there's watermelon and fresh sweet corn on the cob. We barbecue more often, as well. I enjoy a nice cold glass of lemonade more in the summer than any other season.

I'm not a fan of the heat, but am thankful for central air conditioning and lots of fans. Still, it's hard to get myself outside on muggy or boiling hot days. I especially get annoyed when the heat lingers into fall. When I was pregnant with my daughter, we had one REALLY hot Sukkot. This was in mid-late September, but it was unbearable. Sukkot is supposed to be all about fall, but it felt like we were in the middle of July. It was hard to enjoy the food too.

I like anything to do with water in the summer, whether it is swimming or going to a water park. Sometimes a cold shower is extremely refreshing after a hot and sticky day. Last summer, we went to Sesame Place and they had a lot of water slides and other water related attractions. It was a lot of fun and I hope we can go back there or to another water park this summer. I'd also love to take the kids to a beach this summer. I know they'd enjoy that a lot, especially being right by an ocean. I haven't been to the ocean since our honeymoon in 2004! And after reading "Monarch Beach" by Anita Hughes (which I reviewed here), I want to go to the beach more than ever!

I think I enjoy experiencing summer through my kids' eyes more than anything else about it these days. They get to go to camp and do all the fun things. They eat popsicles that drip all over their hands and clothes. They find fireworks to be absolutely fascinating and love chasing lightning bugs. They don't know that carnivals are a huge rip-off and just like all the excitement. I love their sheer joy when they jump into a pool. That's summer for me these days!