Loving summertime lists!

Things I am loving right now about summertime

1. The public library… trips to the public library, that is. Taking the kids to the library has always been a bit of an adventure, but now that they’re getting a little older, it’s definitely easier.

No toddlers wandering around, pulling books off of any shelf they can reach, no emergency diaper changes in the tiny bathroom (without a changing table, of course), and now my book bag is significantly lighter with a few chapter books for each kid, instead of 42 picture books for each visit.


2. The racquetball court at our community center.

Not that I’ve suddenly taken up a mean game of racquetball, but we’ve discovered that the court makes a perfect twirling practice studio. High ceilings, wood floors, relatively sound proof… it has made getting ready for the state competition next weekend that much easier.

And now that she is doing more complicated tricks and tosses, I don’t have to worry about flying batons in my front entryway, or the big window over the front door. ;)


3. Teaching the kids how to cook some basics. So far this week, we’ve had spaghetti, grilled cheese, and enchilada casserole.

And lots of brownies. What can I say? They like to bake brownies.



Things I don’t miss this summer

1. Homework.


2. Packing lunches. Oh, I still feed everyone at lunchtime (well, USUALLY), I just don’t have to use annoying little sandwich bags.



3. Swim team. Yes, I’m a lazy mom and I didn’t sign the kids up for the Marlins this summer. I admit that last summer I was overwhelmed and grouchy with all those practices by the time the season was finished. 3 kids… 3 different practices… EVERYDAY. But in my defense, when I mentioned to the kids that we might not do swim team this summer, their response was something along the lines of…

“Eh. Okay.”

And I was all like, “SERIOUSLY?? I KILLED myself in the hot sun last summer for nothing???!”



4. Definitely don’t miss… the 28.8 pounds I’ve lost. :) (Sorry… just had to get that in there…Hot diggity!)





Of course, if the kids don't learn to make anything other than brownies, I might have a different story to tell.

Why I love my new oven:

1. I love my new oven because unlike most everything else in my almost 20 year old house, it is actually NEW, and the former owners didn’t have a chance to muck it up or jerry-rig the stupid thing.

2. I love my new oven because it is a miracle of cleanliness. It was a huge pain to go through a few weeks without any oven at all, but the flip side of that is that I didn’t have to clean the old one. I highly recommend this technique for cleaning your own oven.

3. It has BUTTONS, people! Not old-fashioned knobs like the previous one… PUSH BUTTONS! We’re feeling so affluent around here, we’re gonna cook up some Cornish game hens.

(“That way everyone gets their own little baby chicken on their own little baby plate…oh, and an endive salad. No, it’s absolutely pronounced ‘ahn-deev…”
Holla! I LOVE that commercial ;)

4. It has a ‘Delay start’. I’ve been told by a dear friend that that is a wondrous thing. Now I just have to figure out how to use it.

5. The clock/ timer on it actually works. No more flashing ‘00:00’… or for that matter, no more black electrician’s tape covering up the flashing light! (Hello? Have we met? I’m the Queen of Making Do! ;)

So feel free to come and spend the night again! You can stay in the family room, and you don’t even have to bring your sleep mask.


6. I love my new oven because I can finally cook and bake again!

Well, I mean, I haven’t actually done that yet… but I *could*. And I will.


Just as soon as I find tiny cans of Budweiser to make ‘Beer in the Butt Cornish Game Hens'. ;)