Why we celebrate "Birthday Month"

If you have a summer birthday, you know.

July is vacation season. Family reunion season. BBQ season. Every weekend seems to belong to someone else's plans.

And if you're a parent of a summer birthday kid? You know how hard it can be.

My daughter loves birthdays. She loves parties. She loves decorations, candles, surprises, and making people feel celebrated. She watches her friends have birthdays during the school year, when everyone is home and looking for something fun to do.

But summer is different.

What this blog is not

 This isn't a blog written by a perfect mom.

It's also not written by a crunchy mom, a Pinterest mom, a minimalist mom, a luxury mom, or a camping expert.

The First Night in Our New-to-Us Camper (and a Reminder That My Little Girl Isn't So Little Anymore)

Every September, our local state park hosts a Harvest Festival.

If you're local, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.

Kids dress up in their Halloween costumes and go campsite to campsite trick-or-treating. What started as a campground event has grown into something much bigger. Families who aren't even camping bring their children just to participate. Campsites are decorated, candy is handed out by the bucketful, and more than a few adults have "special treats" tucked away for the parents making the rounds.

It's become one of those events that marks the changing of seasons for our family.

Before we owned a camper, my husband, daughter, and I attended with my brother and sister-in-law, their child, some friends, and my in-laws. We had walk the campground allows evening, collecting candy, spend time around the campfire afterward, and then head home.

Then leaving became the hardest part.

My daughter never wanted the night to end.

Truthfully, neither did my husband or I.

I Finally Became a Reader (Just Not the Way I Expected)

I'm going to admit something that has always felt a little embarrassing to me.

I've always wanted to be a reader.

You know the kind of person I'm talking about. The woman who curls up with a book and a cup of coffee on a quiet Saturday morning. The person who always has a novel in her bag and somehow manages to finish multiple books a month.

I wanted to be that person.

The problem? My life doesn't exactly lend itself to sitting quietly and reading for hours.

Between work, motherhood, dance classes, laundry, making dinner, driving everyone where they need to be, and trying to keep our household functioning, finding uninterrupted time feels almost impossible.

And if I'm being completely honest, there's another hurdle.

The Myth of the Put-Together Mom (and Other Lies I Tell Myself at 6:43 AM)

There is a version of me that exists in my head at night.

She meal prepped on Sunday. She laid out outfits for the week. She is hydrated, rested, emotionally regulated, and somehow has matching socks for everyone in the house.

And then there is 6:43 AM me.

She is standing in the kitchen, mentally deciding which task is a higher priority for us to get through our morning with the greatest success, trying to remember if today is “library day,” “dance bag day,” or “the day I forgot it was anything at all, and now we are all emotionally recovering.”

Somewhere between those two versions of me is where reality lives. And reality is loud.

What's In My 6-Year-Old Dancer's Practice Bag?

Well, it's been a little while since I have written here. Life looks a little different these days, but I am excited to start sharing again. 

When my daughter first started dance, I assumed all she needed was her dance shoes and a water bottle.

I was wrong.

After a few years of forgotten hair ties, ripped tights, and hungry meltdowns between classes, we've figured out a few essentials that make dance nights run much smoother.

For context, my daughter is 6 (almost 7), takes multiple dance classes, and participates in our studio's community troupe. She's not training professionally, but she spends enough time at the studio that having a well-stocked dance bag makes life easier for both of us.

Here's what we always keep in her dance bag.

New beginnings

 Good day folks,

I've accepted a new job that I am very excited about. It feels right. I'm excited about what I am doing. 

Kyle, Ava and I have been just having fun weekends together this summer. It's been such a blessing to have been able to be home with her for the last year. She is wild, sweet and fiesty all at the same time. 

We got to go to the Garlyn Zoo this summer. We got to do several picnics and BBQ's with family. We have spent a lot of time with Nana. We got to cross the Canadian border to see grandpa Don and Grandma Barb. That was very special and I can't wait to be able to do that more frequently. It had been particularly difficult because everything shut down in March 2020 when Ava was 8 months old. They couldn't see her on her first or second birthday or watch her grow and change every day. She took to my dad so quickly it just made my heart overflow.

Kyle and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary this year. I am so blessed to have such a great person to spend my life with and raise children with. He really amazes me everyday at what a fantastic human he is. We have both grown so much since we started dating in 2012.  We have gone through some ups and downs but I'm glad we overcame it all. He is my person.

We refinanced our house this summer for a lower rate. (Because why not?) We bought me a new (to me) car. We sold my old 4Runner because as spacious as it was, when you're toting strollers, stuffed animals, wagons and a diaper bag it's amazing how cramped it felt. 

I accepted a job as an administrative assistant. My boss is amazing so far, I've gotten an opportunity to see her in action. It was an amazing experience to see a woman lead with such power and grace. Very much girl power. 

Hope you all are well and that you've had the best summer adventures.