Last-minute summer to do list

Summer is almost over.  I can’t believe it.  Since I’ve become a mother, this is the fastest summer on record.

Initially, I thought it was due to my son’s ban on naps; we didn’t need to start the day by 9 a.m. so we would be home in time for a midday nap.  It totally changed the flow of the day.

Although this true — and perhaps because it is true — we were busy this summer.  We went to New York and New Jersey to visit family.  My daughter and I went to Chicago.  We explored Greenfield Village.  We spent a lot of time at the gym pool.  We played at different parks.  We visited family in Lexington.  We enjoyed the company of my aunt, uncle and cousins that we don’t get to see a lot.

I love to travel and I have strong skill sets in planning and organizing, but wow — I am exhausted.  And yet I feel there are things that I still wanted to do this summer.

So I present to you my Late Summer To-do List:

• Eat more ice cream (There is nothing quite like a delicious, full-fat ice cream cone on a hot day).
• Ride bikes (Note to self: fix your bike so you can lead by example).
• Grill veggies (On a related note, I can check hot dogs and s’mores off my list).
• Enjoy Stony Creek Metropark in Shelby Township more often (Have you checked out the new play area?  It’s amazing. I also miss walking there and enjoying the beautiful outdoors).
• Sit in my garden (I have the most beautiful and lush tomato plants I have ever grown.  And there is nothing like sitting in a freshly watered garden and being surrounded by the beautiful aromas of mint and rosemary plants).
• Play on our swingset and run through the sprinklers (The slip-in-slide is awesome)!
• Less screen time (We clocked an enormous amount of screen time that I will justify as down time from all that traveling. Please don’t judge).

What is left on your summer to-do list?