It’s the first week of July, Internet! I refuse to think of how quickly the summer is flying by. We do have ALL of July and part of August to bask in summerness, which I plan to embrace wholeheartedly.
My original plan for summer was Reduce the Activities, which would, in turn, Reduce the Driving. Since I was in the car a minimum of two hours a day during the school year – sometimes three – I think you understand why I was interested in Reducing. So far, I have achieved decent success. Carla has daily summer camp, one activity that takes place directly after camp in the exact same camp location, and one activity that takes place on the weekends at a location ten minutes from our house. PERFECT. I am in the car for 45 minutes a day at most and I LOVE IT.
We have also been soaking up time by the pool as often as possible. This has looked like two or three days a week, which isn’t ENOUGH, but it’s something. Room to improve.
A friend (whose kid is in camp with Carla) and I were complaining to each other about how frazzled we both feel this summer. I cannot keep the camp schedule straight, for one thing, and she is having similar trouble. We’ve already had FIVE WEEKS of summer, and I’ve been working really hard to be as slothful and pool-centered as possible, but we haven’t really settled into a rhythm yet. I think that’s partly because the five weeks have all been different; there’s no routine. Sure, camp is in its third week, but I think three weeks isn’t enough to develop a structure. Especially when those three weeks include three days off for holidays.
Lest I lean too heavily on July for developing a routine, whatever semblance of a rhythm we’ve managed to cobble together will be undergoing a shake-up this month. Not an UNPLEASANT shake-up, you understand, but a shake-up nonetheless. Should shakeup be one word? Yes, I think I prefer that.
One of my out-of-town friends has a summer home here and arrives this week to stay until Septemberish. Also, my in-laws will be here for at least July, and are leaving and then returning at some point later in the summer; I’m unclear on the details. I am pretty sure they are staying with us this week… but, again, unclear on the details.
So I think my Reduced Driving and Afternoons by the Pool plans will undergo a shift as I add friends and family to the day-to-day. Obviously, I will try to encourage friends and family to JOIN ME by the pool as often as possible.
I do hope that this week isn’t a harbinger of July’s rhythm. This week is WACKADOO, let me tell you. Meetings and events and parties and get-togethers out the wazoo. Plus, houseguests. Plus, it’s the Fourth of July holiday here in the US, so we have a long weekend of parades and barbecues ahead of us. None of this is bad, in any way. Just busy. (And believe me, I know it’s not as busy as SOME PEOPLE’S schedules, cough cough Sarah; I am in utter awe of your ability to juggle all the things.)
Dinners may be a little haphazard this week, is what I’m saying. I’ve got a plan, just in case, but I think we’ll need to be flexible.
Dinners for the Week of July 1-7
- Grilled Chicken and Asparagus: My husband is newly obsessed with this brand of rubs and he suggested we grill some chicken with the caramelized onion seasoning. Maybe some watermelon and feta salad on the side?
- Chili-Honey Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Cilantro Yogurt Sauce: This sounds so good to me right now. Plus, I have TWO ripe jalapenos that I can conscript for the sauce. I wonder if I can do this on the grill, though, since I am still avoiding the oven. (Except for cupcake making.)
- Panang Curry: My husband thinks his parents would like this. The last time I made it on the stove, rather than in the Instant Pot like the recipe calls for… Hmmm… maybe my oven/stove ban will be the thing that spurs me to use the Instant Pot again. We’ll see.
- Hamburgers and Hot Dogs: This is our classic Fourth of July meal. Not sure what I’ll make alongside it. Maybe a couscous and grilled veggie salad? Cucumber and quinoa salad? Maybe I will just buy some pre-made potato salad and call it good? Probably I should come up with something for dessert, too. Maybe leftover birthday cake?
- Caprese Salad with Balsamic Chicken and Balsamic Dressing: Why yes we DID have this just last week but it was SO GOOD I want it again. Plus, it’s really easy. Diane suggested I add some corn kernels to the salad and I did and it was such an excellent addition, I plan to make it a regular feature of this salad.
That seems like enough plans for now. We can always add tacos or takeout to the list, depending on moods.
Caprese salad is so refreshing in hot summer weather. As a teacher, we used to say that June was like Friday night, July was Saturday (lazy and more relaxed) and August was a whole month of Sunday nights, anticipating and worrying about going back to work/school. Hope you can find a more peaceful routine for your summer. (you started in May and we get out in June here)
At first I thought your in-laws were in your HOUSE for the entirety of July and I was impressed with how casually you mentioned it. NBD, just houseguests for a month. Yeeeeeesh. A week though, it’s manageable but it would be nice to have the schedule nailed down slightly.
Right?
OMG three hours in the car is too many hours in the car, Suzanne! You should definitely be lazing by the pool and on that note, I’ll be right there! *drives for days*
We have a houseguest here but he’s 20, and therefore super easy to have around as he just kind of melts into the rhythms of the house.
Ugh. 3 hours in the car is terrible! Just terrible! I am glad you are getting some reprieve from that driving schedule. You must listen to a ton of podcasts? That is how I would stay sane/fill the time.
We head to my parents on Thur am so this is a very short week for us. So I only planned to make ground turkey tacos. We ordered indian last night because we had a coupon that expired yesterday. We get take-out so infrequently so it is always such a treat to have dinner just show up without any effort on my behalf.
I don’t have much of a rhythm to my life with all of my traveling (I somehow have 3 trips in July but I am really really trying to not travel in August and I need to hold that boundary if at all possible). But the boys have a routine which is what matters most. I’ll continue to struggle to remember what day of the week it is since my travel shifts from Tu-Th to M-W and then I have a short Tu-Wed trip in mid-July. All this traveled messed me up so much that on the way to the airport in the DC area last week I said – wait, what is the date? And then realized I had lost track of the days and forgot to send a HBD text to my brother. Le sigh. He was understanding, though but I HATE that “wait what is today’s date” feeling.
Why yes, reducing your driving time from 2-3 hours a day to 45 minutes…it’s bad for your audio book listening time but great for everything else in your life. Yay for the summer!
I need to try the Panang curry!
That is so much driving! 3 hours?!?! I have so many questions; if I had to pick one, it would be, “how many times do you have to park in that time?!?!?!” I love the whole by-the-pool vibe of your summer and hope it gets to thrive even with July’s wackadoo rhythms. I have been listening way too much to the Lazy Genius podcast and have been way overthinking seasonal rhythms and house routines and all that – I hope to get my arms around it by the fall, haha!
“I’ve got a plan, just in case, but I think we’ll need to be flexible.” And that is what summer is all about; being flexible and playing it by ear. Even when doing so, makes some of us (*ahem; ME*) insane because we’d rather have structure.
We were in such a great routine when my kids were tiny. We went to the neighborhood pool every dang day that the weather cooperated. From noon till 3 pm. Naps at 3 and the kids stayed up late and Daddy came home from work late and we relaxed and went for walks and it was the best of times. Activities – ugh. Always so many places to be. I hope your guests decide to relax by the pool, because summer ends so darn fast.
A few of these recipes look really delish. I’ll have to give them a try. I cooked multiple meals yesterday because it was cool and I could use my oven without feeling like I might melt. I did cheesey chicken in the oven (heated it up for today) and bbq pork in the crockpot and a side dish of rice broccoli. Tomorrow is Italian Beef in the crockpot, because it is so easy and we have a swim meet. Wed we host Coach’s brother and his nine children for lunch. We’re going with cold cuts and chicken salad and watermelon and my cookies. I have to make a big salad for the 4th party at Coach’s sister’s house. I’ll probably also make a 7 layer taco dip, because why not. Then we will enjoy leftovers.
I remember this so well, how hard it was to settle into a summer routine. My kids usually went to several different camps each summer and there were different drop off and pickup times and locations each week and I spent a LOT of time on buses ferrying them around and I never seemed to manage to get both kids in a camp during the same week.
Eventually, though, they started walking/taking the bus to camp themselves, starting with short walks to camp at around age 10 (or teen Noah would take preteen North) and it got easier. By the time they were each 13, they were getting themselves to camp most of the time. It helped that their camps were walking distance or easy to get to on public transportation. I know that’s not true everywhere.
It’s so different now. Beth’s gone for the week and North’s gone, too, so it’s just me and Noah and he gets himself to work. I’m not responsible for anyone but me for most of the day. Sometimes it feels luxurious and sometimes it feels lonely.
I think that’s partly because the five weeks have all been different; there’s no routine.
I hear ‘ya. I’m not obsessed with routines, but I like a little pre-planned structure to my days. I know if I was in your shoes [flip flops?] I’d be a little confused by the randomness of how your summer is playing out. Hang in there. 😎
Ella has summer school until the end of July, so she will only have three and a half weeks off. I will not set any alarms for those three and a half weeks. 🤣
I’m with you on hamburgers, hot dogs, and premade salads. 💕
Yep- that’s the problem with summer. Each week seems to be different, somehow. I think back to my childhood summers- my parents were both teachers so we were ALL off ALL summer. The way I remember it, we spent the days playing outside and going to the pool in the afternoon. Ah, the good old days!
i think I’ve made that panang curry- or at least I’ve made A panang curry recipe. I should make it again- I’ve really been struggling to come up with dinner ideas.
I honestly have no idea how working parents make summer work. You eat what you eat and do what you gotta do, right? Good luck figuring it all out!
Wow, I knew you were doing a lot of driving during the school months but 3 hours each day! I would be zipping through audiobooks at that rate (well, depending on if I had a passenger or not, lol). Here’s to less driving and more afternoons spent pool-side!
Summers seem to be crazy for everyone esp. folks with kids. Phew. At least there is “pool time” involved (I need to make friends with someone who has a pool LOL)
We do the same meals for weeks on end, if they’re good, so I get it about the Caprese Salad. It does sound good 🙂
I think I’ve had that slow cooker chicken cooked in salsa verde 3 times since you posted about it. I just use the stove top since we don’t have a slow cooker, and I shred the chicken into tacos. Delicious!
3 hours a day in the car is brutal. So many people have to do that, to get to work or school or activities, I’m so fortunate to work from home. I drive to and from the grocery store, and that’s about it.
Summer sounds full and fun and just all exciting… But I am sure it can also be exhausting. Your kind of relaxe time might be a bit different from Carlas…
Dinners look very good again. I love the inspiration they provide even though I rarely cook after a recipe. I usually just look at it and start my own interpretation. My basil is almost enough for my first harvest. And then I’ll have a Caprese Salad.