I feel like summer is flying by. How is it almost July already? I thought I would give an update on what we have been doing. Summer feels very different with a house of teenagers. I can still very clearly remember the summers where the kiddos were booked with camps every single week. Those days are long gone, but I am proud of what I have carved out for our family this summer.
First off, we are still adjusting to life without a dog. And Smooch was not just any dog. It is the first time in my adult life where there has not been a dog in the house. The kids have been asking for another dog, but I just can’t see it. Plus Fireball the cat has turned into a dog, so I am still getting my animal love fix daily. My Smooch memoir is coming along. I am currently in the editing phase. I needed help making it more of a story vs a summary of things she did, so I am paying the publishing company for their literary editing services. I rationalized this expense by only using money from things we have sold on Craigslist from our summer clean out the attics project. That money is totally bonus cash, so I did not feel guilty for using it. I should have my first round of edits in mid to late July.
The boy teen has a fun volunteer gig this summer (and hopefully one he can keep throughout high school). He is serving as a Junior Volunteer with the New Hope Railway in Apex. He went for the first time to “learn the ropes” yesterday. I knew as we were pulling in the parking lot that it was going to be a good fit for him. I thought he would be giving tours and telling families about the trains, but it turns out that he is actually going to be in charge of brake checks and other operational duties. There is another teenager that volunteers there as well who is a rising high school senior. Overall just a cool experience.
The girl teen has had quite the summer so far. The husband took her and a friend to Charlotte yesterday to see the musical Falsettos. And today, we met her IBF (Internet Best Friend) of 3 years halfway between our homes so that she could spend a week at our house. They are super close and have plans to live together when they finish high school. I am determined to be a good host to make it a week they will both remember for a long time.
Lastly, a work update for me. Part of my job is to coordinate community outreach with grant funding. This is my favorite part of my job – providing a Girl Scout experience to girls who otherwise would not have the experience. I was the only director to complete all of the outreach programming before the end of the school year, and as a result, was asked to help coordinate summer outreach in Sampson county. Fun fact – Sampson county is the second largest county in the United States. It will be challenging since we only have 6 weeks to get the programming done, but it is a challenge that I happily accepted.
So there you have it. Summer so far at our house. What do you have planned for the summer? How do you keep your teens entertained during the summer months?
Want to chat about parenting in the teenage years? Check out the Let’s Talk Parenting link and get in touch. I would love to talk with you.