18 summers, that’s all we get?
When I saw someone post this the other day it hit me right in the pit of my stomach!
“You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow, they will be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Just breathe, notice, study their faces and little feet. pay attention. Relish the charms of the present. Enjoy today. It will be over before you know it.”
What do you mean only 18 summers? I will have a lifetime with my kids!! But then I quickly realized they were right. Only 10 more summers with Nixon until he officially becomes an adult. Woah, let me grab the tissues! Ok now I know we obviously have more than 18 summers with our kids, but think about it. Will they go off to college or university when they are 18? Will they travel after high school? Maybe they will live at home until they are 25 but maybe they won’t. We can’t predict what our kids will decide to do once they graduate from high school so let’s make the most of the summers we know we have with them!
This season of motherhood is busy, stressful and some days it’s just plain hard. It can be easy to let the little moments pass us by when we as moms carry such a heavy load of responsibilities! Throw in running your own business, working on bettering yourself and trying to be present in your marriage. Where do we find the time? Personally, I am constantly overthinking and worrying. Have I done, enough? Enough one-on-one time, enough encouragement, enough teaching moments, heck am even if I have feed them enough fruits and vegetables? Focusing on the “enoughs” each day definitely is stealing the joy and rewarding moments of motherhood from me.
I have decided to make a point of doing at least one intentional thing each day this summer to spark joy, have fun and be present with my kids no matter how shitty of a day we might been having! It can be as big as a family adventure or as small as taking a few minutes to be present during an activity with my kids. Let’s do fun things with our kids before they are too cool to do fun things with us lol. Will you join me??
Here is a list of over 100 ideas to get you started this summer! Even if you have done some of these before, who says you can’t do them again! Let’s make some new memories with our kids starting today and don’t forget to take and get in those photos moms. Yes, I’m talking to you! When you post on social media use the hashtag #aspsummerbucketlist so I can celebrate your adventures with you. The time now, how many summers do you have left?
– Have a water balloon fight
– Go Geocaching
– Game Night
– Make crafts
– Play with Playdough
– Device-Free day
– Late-night swim
– Jump in puddles
– Staycation
– Backyard movie night
– Go on a nature hike
– Take a risk
– Have a campfire
– Build something with LEGO
– Have milkshakes
– Slip and slide
-Have a carwash
– Build a sandcastle
– See a drive-in movie
– Go to the farmers market
– Get temporary tattoos
– Catch Tadpoles
– Play a sport
– Do a Pinterest project
– Make homemade lemonade
– Journal
– Plant a tree
– Collect Shells
– Make a new friend
-Take a Family photo
– Do a science experiment
– Skip rocks at the beach
– Run in the sprinklers
– Visit a new park
– Play I spy on a road trip
– Catch crabs at the beach
– Bathe in hot spring
– Stay up until midnight
– Set up a tent in the yard
– Hopscotch
– Ride a horse
– Bbq with friends
– Swim in the ocean
– Find shapes in the clouds
– Yes Day
– Fly kites
– Go to the library
– Take photos on a disposable camera/polaroid
– Go bowling
– Sparklers at night
– Eat dessert before dinner
– Catch a fish
– Eat from a food truck
– Make s’mores
– Go on a scavenger hunt
– Bake cookies
– Go apple picking
– Hunt for the Ogopogo
– Breakfast for dinner
– Homemade pizza night
– Go to a parade
– Paint rocks
– Throw a party
– Go on a picnic – See a shooting star
– Play cards
– Camping at home
– Go on a road trip
– Go to an amusement park
– Pillow fight
– Go berry picking
– Build a fort
– Have a dance party
– Outdoor Concert
– Float down the river
– Go to a waterpark
– Pay it forward
– Read a book
– Make popsicles
– Try a new food
– Go on a boat ride
– Ice cream from an ice cream truck
– Check out a new beach
– Grow a plant
– Go fishing
– Ride on a golf cart
– Explore a new town
– Go on a bike ride
– Watch the sunrise
– Watch the sunset
– Go on a vacation
– Visit a waterfall
– Dance in the rain
– Go karting
– Sleep on the trampoline
– Chase fireflies
– Go mini golfing
– Watch fire works
– Stargaze
– Jump in the pool fully clothed
* We did this one during the heatwave but there was no photos to prove it lol
And last but not least….HAVE THE BEST SUMMER EVER!
Are you going to join me in having the best summer ever?? Let’s do this!
