I have been stuck in a rut for a while; the end of the semester does this to me all the time. I get worried about all the insanity and work one day at a time, if not one hour at a time. So looking ahead is overwhelming. So this list is really to help me wrap my brain around what the Summer will entail.

1. We’ll be finishing up two “milestone” grades here in a month: 5th and 8th. I don’t know if anything special will be done in the schools. They’re trying to do some glow party and a luau for the 5th graders but they are vague about details. As far as I am concerned, we don’t have covid issues here (yes, I KNOW it is still around) but if we use common sense, we can make some of this stuff happen for the kids.
2. We finished up soccer season, though Isaac has Fall assessments tonight. Dakota finished up baseball so now we’re “free” in that way.
3. The younger kids will have camp starting in late June and I also signed Dakota up for a princess camp that first week in the AM only. I’ll be driving all over!
4. I have another set of courses beginning June 2nd but for now, I am in between a lot of stuff and just have one class. So I will need to fill in the time with other stuff. I don’t know what though! I guess I will be working on that battle jacket.
5. I am looking forward to the driving trip with my parents in June. We are going from Pensacola to Houston for one night, then to Austin, then Fredericksburg, then San Antonio for 2 nights, then on the way back, New Orleans for one night. Should be a good time! I haven’t really traveled much lately and as much as I hate long car rides, this one should be scenerey-rific!
6. I am looking forward to my next set of classes starting in June. I have little going on right now so I feel adrift. In fact, today I plan to clean in Dakota’s room and possibly work in the yard. It’s not “work” work but it is stuff that has to get done.
7. Elliot has the short cast now so the next step is the boot. I know he can’t wait for that because he can take it off to scratch when it itches. That’s the part that drives him the most crazy.
8. On that note, I look forward to a time when things don’t feel so wonky. I was just saying to my son how I let this one deadline slip by because we were in the thick of his break and surgery. It wasn’t a big deal: some fundraising thing for an 8th grade field day thing. But I felt bad that I let it go. But when my life gets all twisted around and confusing like it was, I just can’t seem to stay on top of stuff.
9. Though May isn’t over, the rain seems to be. We had a bit of it there for a while but now it is hot and dry. Not too humid, thankfully. But now my grass is a little dry and I need to break out the sprinkler and remember to do it early in the morning. Luckily I am home all the time and can do that.
10.  I guess I am looking forward to getting in the pool. My kids have been in and it’s a nice temp – 83 most days – but I haven’t gotten there yet. Guess because we’ve just been busy and stuff. But that first day I lounge in my float with a beer will be nice.
11. I’m looking forward to, in the short term (and I do mean SHORT) taking my son to school and getting motivated to work in the yard. This one area is kind of overgrown and if I get it done, I will feel really accomplished. I have some grading to do as well but that is today’s main goal.
12. I really look forward to catching my summer stride; when I feel like I know exactly what it “normal.”
13. And here’s a brief laundry list of summer stuff I’m excited for: late evening sunsets, rabbits in the yard, fireflies, beach trips, cooking out.