1- Fresh Starts, continued. I think it’s the combination of:
a) a new academic year (residency programs run traditionally from July – June, though orientation is typically late June!)
b) moving into my 2021-22 planner on Monday (ECLP hourly)
c) start of a new Q and new routines with the kids in camp (plus the relief of a slightly later/more relaxed schedule for them!)
Anyway. I am feeling motivated to organize everything. Yesterday I cleared out the kids’ school clothes and tackled swim stuff and pajamas. I am also continuing with Organize365 — next week I will do a more in depth discussion of this as it has been requested many times!
2- Fresh starts, digital! I also cleared out and reorganized my Apples Notes system! My work to-do list has been refreshed and my Q3 projects are listed. This weekend I will work on my monthly list. There is a lot going on, but it feels really nice to see it all laid out and categorized.
3- Someone requested a look at our camp spreadsheet template:
I changed our camp names to letters W – Z for privacy but otherwise this is our real spreadsheet – just a table created in Notes. Easy and convenient!
4- Currently reading: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones.
This is the last backlist title I’ve had on my list for a while before I dive into newer summer reading books. FUN FACT: I read (and really liked) An American Marriage by the same author and thought Tayari Jones was a man. She is not.
5- Another Quintiles Planner! If you’re looking for more Summer Planning inspiration and some slightly different methods, check out Amy’s post here.
OFF TO RUN (2 x 1 mi + 2 x 1K at threshold. Wish me luck!)
4 Comments
We’re just exiting lockdown in our part of Canada and I’ve spent the last weekly madly trying to make summer plans. I learned Monday I could, in fact, get swimming lessons for my kids. Cue what felt like 200 emails to get it sorted (because, of course, every other parent that realized swim lessons were a go also wanted to register their children). A cross-provincial border is staying closed longer than we expected, so I’m not sure about whether the day camp we’re aiming for (in another province), will actually go ahead or not. I’ll only know a couple of days in advance, but of course can’t plan other activities in that time in case all the stars align. Gah!
But I’m feeling 80% better about it all. I printed off a big blank calendar template for July and penciled in and colour coded all the things we’re theoretically doing, moved the necessary cogs around and feel like, barring catastrophe, the kids will have a memorable summer with enough structured activity that we adults can get needed work done and the kids will have time to do some spontaneous things + have a few stints of relaxing vacation.
I didn’t realize before I had kids how much time as a parent (particularly mothers) would be spent finagling schedules (and arranging pick-ups and drop-offs). It’s a full time job, practically and can make me break out in a literal cold sweat!
Gold star for your organizational prowess, SHU; looks like a fun summer ahead for your kiddos 🙂
Given that for us camp is the only source of childcare the entire summer I really could not justify any additional drop offs and pick ups so both kids are going to the same camp the entire summer. Only one week in and it seems good so far but I’m a little nervous that they will be over it by the end of the summer. Oh well! Hopefully we will have some fun extras like random time at the pool this year and it’s definitely an improvement over last year’s nothing and virtual school. I’d love to put my older one in a special camp for a few weeks next year maybe gymnastics or something arts related.
I really like Silver Sparrow and loved her first novel, Leaving Atlanta. But American Marriage is derivative of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk – I recommend folks read that instead! It’s a quick read.
I do something really similar, but I add tracking for filling out all the damn camp forms as well. I sign up and then think I’ll fill out the forms later, and later always ends up being 11pm the night before camp starts. Sigh.