7 Quick Takes: More of the mundane...

Joining Jen and her insane ideas that I will possibly consider...

1) We are 3/4ths of the way through our Summer Birthday Season! After next Tuesday (when I will officially become the mother of 3 teens and my descent into un-coolness will increase), it will be only 4 months until we begin Holiday Birthday Season! Saving all my pennies starting now.

2) Why is summer moving so quickly? As a child, I couldn't wait for my July 9th birthday, but afterwards,

I wanted summer to sloooooow down.

As an adult, I use July 4th as my official

"Summer Can Slow Down" point. I'm definitely getting that "put on the brakes!" feeling lately. So many plans, so little time left to execute....

3) My new favorite late-night show is Continuum. It's on Netflix and I'm not quite sure if my standards are sinking, or that the premise of this show is that good -- because it ain't the acting talent of the main character. The show centers around a group of terrorists from the year 2077 who, just as they are about to be executed for their crimes, transport themselves back in time to 2012. One of the female police officers from their time is also accidentally transported back with them. The episodes have plenty of flashbacks (flashforwards?) to the main character's life in 2077 and what the world looks like then: world government that is corporate-run ("Corporate Congress"), artificial food, no animals, electro-static makeup application! Check it out!

4) Oh my gosh, you guys! I made this awesome (and really healthy!) coleslaw recipe this week! It's supremely good on these really hot summer days and even my resident cabbage-hater (read: Kyle) liked it. Bonus: it's probiotic!

5) I'm really missing being up at the lake. I was supposed to stay up at the lake for most of July, but then Joe's school scheduled his drivers' education class to take place from 7/15-8/9 and that means Mama can't just up and leave. My plans included getting a lot of use out of the new motor on our pontoon boat. Tubing is one of our favorite pastimes.

6) I'm sure some of you already use and have probably blogged about the RunKeeper app, but I just started using it a couple of months ago and I really like it. I'm not a runner and never will be, but I love walking. RunKeeper has been a surprisingly big motivation for me. I love the feedback and the accurate tracking of my speed and mileage. It's available on both iOS and Android, which is another bonus for Kyle and I as he had a Droid and I have an iPhone. Check it out!

7) No big plans for this weekend, which is actually a good thing after the last few cuhrazy weekends we've had. Of course, being an extrovert, I'll probably try to create a social event for us. My closet-extrovert will probably grumble but secretly love it --- right, Honey??

Five Favorites: Summer Vacation Edition

Joining  Hallie for my Five Favorites, Summer Vacation Style!

1) Lazy Mornings. Even if I don't get to sleep in, quite a few of the kids do and that means more quiet, less squabbling. I also love just sitting around in my PJs, sipping coffee, and listening to the classical music station.

2) The Garden. We have a postage stamp-sized backyard, but 2 years ago Kyle and the kids installed a 4'x4' boxed garden for me as a Mother's Day gift. This year, we have strawberries, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peas, and cucumbers. It doesn't produce enough so that I don't have to buy fruit and veggies at the store, but the delicious food it does give us makes me happy and proud.

3) The Pool. We are lucky enough to live only a few blocks from our village's pool. We are also blessed that it's yearly family membership is incredibly cheap (compared to most pools in our area). Nothing beats a fun-and-sun-filled afternoon at the pool, followed by a slow walk home where air-conditioning, popcorn, movies and naps await us.

These are my girls at the pool in 2011

4) The Lakehouse. Speaking of being blessed... My wonderful husband works extremely hard so that we have a little haven to which we can escape with our kids. While it's a year-round house, the summer is when it really shines! The house sits right on the lake shore and all we have to do is put on our swimsuits, open the deck doors, walk outside and enjoy swimming, boating, grilling, bonfires, and playing all day long. We have no cable, Internet, or landline up there and it forces all of us (even the teens!) to interact with each other. Even rainy days are fun: fishing, board games, card games, fort-building, baking! 

 5)Having my kids all around me. For me, having just a few months of being around my kids in a relaxed setting is sheer joy. Even the kids who work or go to sports camp for a couple of weeks are still around a lot more than they are during the school year. It's a nice re-grouping before the busy pace of school and sports takes over in the Fall. Of course, by mid-August, all of us are yearning for the structure that busy pace provides!