Summertime and the Living is Easy

Ish. Easy-ish. And some fun books about summer chaos and family love.

Hello again friends! Is there a mathematical equation to figure out how far along in summer you are by measuring your weight in watermelon? Because we have kicked summer into high gear over here and it is a non-stop watermelon party.

I was trying to figure out if the summer slide applies to a stay at home mom and her not yet school aged children (hi, it’s me) before we left on vacation. Now that we have arrived, and I have hardly been doing any reading at all, I’m going to say that it seems a bit relatable if not strictly applicable.

Being out of our routine means less cuddle up on the couch with some books time, but more baseball, beaches, barbecues, and ice cream. We’ve spent our days running around outside until the sun sets at nearly 9PM, and then we fall exhausted into bed. Even our 2 books every night routine has gone out the window for the sake of s’mores and just one more trip to the beach. No regrets.

The loss of routine can be a little bit of a struggle for me. I like my quiet mornings with coffee and a book time. I like my routine, my little house, and the control I feel inside my own space. On vacation, we are descending upon everyone else’s routine with our own brand of chaos and it all feels a little…hard. We want to make sure everyone is getting what they need to be happy and to stay regulated…like did everyone have snacks?? But also, did I get five minutes to think today yet? (Haha no never) But I also want to make sure that we are seizing the moment and making memories and seeing everyone and making the MOST of this extremely privileged summer vacation my family gets to experience. It is a precarious balance where one more marshmallow wins out more often than not.

Everything feels scattered but also glorious and fun. Nothing fills me with more joy than seeing my kids with my brother's kids running around the yard barefoot, shirtless, and giggling. So to hell with routine for just a few weeks more. If you need me, I’ll be buried out back in the watermelon rinds. 

If you are stressing about summer slide, remind yourself that creating learning moments can happen on the go and that is ok to let your kids (and yourself) explode into summer.

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FROM THE STAX

SUMMER IS FOR COUSINS by Rajani Larocca illustrated by Abhi Alwar

Every summer Ravi gets to spend time with his cousins at a lake house. There are so many fun things to do and amazing cousins to see. Ravi is excited to see his oldest cousin Dhruv and wonders if he still loves the same flavor of ice cream as him, even though a whole year has gone by. When the store doesn’t carry his favorite flavor, Ravi decides to surprise everyone and make some to share. 

This book so perfectly encapsulates summer with the extended family. The adults are background noise to the kids’ adventures. The book also highlights the unique feeling of seeing family you haven’t seen in a full year, but still love the way you only can when it’s your cousin. This is a great one to read year round to spark a game of “remember when” and talk about cousins or family that live far away. 

THE WATERMELON SEED by Greg Pizzoli

But for real, we all used to think a watermelon would grow out of our ears if we ate the seeds, right? Crocodile is afraid something terrible will happen if he eats the watermelon seed. With fun onomatopoeic text and bright bold colors, this book has my kids asking for another read, and also some more watermelon. So. Much. Watermelon.

Have you ever checked out a wonder book at your local library? It’s a fun way to have the kids read the story without you having to read along and helps them key in to the book by being in charge of when to turn the page!

THE RELATIVES CAME by Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by Stephan Gammell

The summer the relatives came, they drove all the way from Virginia, and there was nothing but hugs and eating and breathing together for days. The words and pictures so perfectly capture the joyous chaos that is a large family coming together for a special time. The idea of not being particular about beds, the idea of missing your home but also being too busy enjoying the new place to think too much about it, the idea that as soon as you leave you’ll miss the place and the people you were visiting. This book tugs at my heart strings with how well it captures the joy of big family reunions with big love. 

We are going to read this one when we get back home so we can remember all the ways we got to experience big love and make memories with our relatives.

THE BEST WORST CAMP OUT EVER by Joe Cepeda

A boy and his father try to go camping, but everything goes just a little bit wrong. First the campsite is booked, then they realize they forgot the tent poles, then they go on a hike and discover a bear is blocking the way. Does all of this ruin their camp out? Or do they find ways to work through each new problem and discover that all they really need to have a good time is a bit of nature and a bit of company? 

Oftentimes things don’t go exactly as planned. Learning how to make the most of it is one of the greatest lessons that I hope I can successfully learn and then pass along to my own children. Let’s just have fun with whatever circumstances come our way!

THE WORLD BELONGED TO US by Jacqueline Woodson Illustrated by Leo Espinosa

I saw this book recommended by both

Sarah Miller

and

Sri Juneja

(love their work so much) so imagine my joy to find it on the library shelf at my mom’s local library. Go check out their amazing reviews which so beautifully summarize why this book is special. The pages pack a big nostalgia punch that will have you feeling all the feels and really celebrates the bone deep thrill of the last bell of school and the first day of full on summer freedom.

My three year old especially loves when we sing about “a nickel and a pickle come a knockin at the door.”

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Thanks for being here. I hope your summer is full of giggling and watermelon treats. Does your summer come with adventure? Does the adventure cause disregulated family members? Are you equally elated and exhausted? Me too.

Full disclosure? I’m doing final edits on this newsletter in a TENT while my family sleeps. Fit in what you love to do when you can, however you can!

See y’all next week and happy reading!