Did you know it’s almost August?
I didn’t. Laura texted me about our next recoding session and I was about to reply that it is in the FAR future, because it’s in AUGUST. And then I looked at the calendar. GAHHH!
I knew this summer was going to feel like this. I’m not sure why – something about all of the different segments, perhaps? Or the fact that we actually only had 9 full weeks of break?
Anyway. Things are just M O V I N G and as of now most of our ‘back to school’ checklist is unchecked despite the fact that we are going to be away for an entire week just prior to the start.
(WHY did I do this? I honestly don’t know. I guess I kind of enjoy the idea of a ‘finale’ summer trip, and we took our big trip in August last year. It gives me something to look forward to during this hot and erratic season? But if I had to do it again, I would have planned our vacation for June. I prefer a longer on-ramp to back to school, and also kind of feel bad about C missing the entire first week back at soccer. Noted for the future.)
I will say I’ve had a pretty productive July! The book proposal is coming along and I now have a fire lit to finish ASAP. Despite writing many (many) words over the course of the last two decades on this blog, I’ve never looked at word counts before and it’s kind of interesting to see what I can produce in a session!
(Of course I know that the first pass of whatever I produce will be just that – a draft that needs plenty of editing. But A BAD DRAFT is better than NO DRAFT. Right? Probably?)
I enjoyed listening Kendra Adachi discuss the path to her latest book release on her podcast this week, and I also loved The Frugal GIrl’s post today! I often ask people to conduct a fun audit of their lives, in part because seeing those words together is kind of funny (and yet perhaps a reminder to take fun . . seriously?).
I have fun every day doing Wordle and Connections (even though I missed up today’s!)
I have fun running outside and listening to podcasts
I have fun reading
I have fun PLANNING future travel and also have fun doing the travel itself
I have fun taking the kids to Starbucks (generally)
I have fun when we all manage to have family dinner (or breakfast) together
I have fun on date nights + at book clubs
I have fun interviewing people that are interesting
I have fun trying new good restaurants
I have fun writing with high quality stationery instruments
I have fun singing along to songs I know
I have fun having animated conversations as a family
I have fun hiking, skiing, and ice skating (the latter in limited doses)
I have fun writing posts + reading others’ posts
(It would also be kind of interesting to write a list of things OTHER people find fun, but I absolutely do not. Mine would include: roller coasters, kickball, puzzles, any kind of maze, horror movies, and basically any home improvement project.)
9 Comments
Your return to school is so soon! Ours is over a month away still. I am excited for August as I am not traveling for work – first full month break since dec/early Jan and I NEED it. We also have our week vacation at my parents and are leaving the boys with them for an extra week. That means I need to the 6yo’s school supplies in the next couple of weeks. I did a trip to target with him last year and he was not all that thrilled with school supply shopping! I think I will still do it this year because it would be a fun tradition for us but hopefully he enjoys it a bit more? But that is probably not realistic!
My fun list would include reading, wordle/spelling bee/connections, Duolingo, good conversations with friends, fun outings with the kids to the zoo/pool/etc, family walks after dinner, reading/writing/commenting on blogs, working on puzzles, and listening to Taylor Swift, to name a few!
I like this exercise! Fun for me: doing morning word games (I do Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, and a few others), reading, going to the pool with kids/friends, hiking, open water swimming, going on walks with friends, date nights and happy hours, watching women’s basketball, and travel planning + travel itself.
How is it nearly August? Where did July go? I’m planning a big trip at the end of summer next year – mostly because there are no camps those weeks and we might as well go away.
In terms of fun – I read a lot, love yoga, love riding my bike (I always have a smile on my face when I’m cycling around town). I also like to just go to a coffee shop and put the world to rights with a friend, museums, theatre, swimming in the sea. I like a city trip. I love a wander around a neighbourhood with lots of cute small shops, stopping for tea and a pastry, but I also to wander through a TjMaxx.
Things other people find fun – I’m not a huge music person, hate puzzles, rollercoasters, I watch very little tv or movies.
We usually go on vacation in August, and this year we went in June instead. I think I like August better? We are really sick of the pool and summer by the last couple weeks of break, so it is refreshing to leave town. BUT weather basically everywhere is better in June, and with a college kid, August seems less doable going forward. Also, I have still done almost none of the back to school things despite having time to do them so….
My first thought was I have the most fun… sleeping (unless I have insomnia which happens a few nights per week). I also have fun doing my job (except when my job sucks, which it did for a long time and may again at any time), reading (unless I am in a reading slump, which I was for three months until about a week ago), recently doing yoga (the less intense stretching variety only) before bed, swimming (which I couldn’t do for about 6 months, but is getting better), taking my daughter shopping (woohoo! first item with no caveat!), taking the dog to agility and rally, going to new restaurants, grilling and sitting on the deck eating dinner… I would have added walking to the list but my foot hurts and it is no longer fun… and I don’t enjoy *at all* cycling, lifting, or my shoulder PT. I think I could use more fun in my life, honestly. This year has totally sucked because I can no longer do many of the activities I used to do to keep myself happy. It was not unlike when Dyl was a baby and I was forced to replace things that made me happy with chores, drudgery, and other mothers.
I don’t enjoy lifting at all, either. I WISH I did! Hoping some of the physical issues improve so you can bring back some of these things (like the swimming, I know you used to love that.)
I KNOW. HOW is it almost August??? I don’t want summer to end! School is coming up much too soon!
I read the Fun Audit post- so many good things there! Things on my “fun” list would include running reading, blogging, reading other blogs (especially when I can linger over a long breakfast and cup of tea and read all the blogs I want.) I also like mini-getaways and exploring new places on my own, which I haven’t done at all this summer- but I do have a little trip coming up that I’m looking forward to.
[…] a page out of Sarah’s blog and sharing a list of things I personally find fun and things other people may find fun that I […]
The kids here go back to school in 2 weeks and that feels SO SOON to me. How is summer break already almost over? Ah well. I’m sure parents are happy to get back to their usual routine, haha.
Let’s see… what do I find fun? Naps, phone games, podcasts, watching trashy reality TV competition shows, reading, planning vacations, scrolling Reddit (lol, I KNOW). This is a good exercise, and also fun to think about the things other people find fun that I do not find fun!