We are on the countdown to summer vacation here. We have a little bit of busy left with a final baseball game, a preschool graduation, birthdays to celebrate, teachers to thank, etc. I am both looking forward to and bracing myself for a couple months' break from our school year routine. I will spend whole days with my boys. Boys who are more active and more easily bored than they were a year ago. Boys who are loud and curious and messy.

In my usual way, I have created a loose plan for us (summers past: summer manifesto 2012, summer ideas for 2011). Lists of things to do and projects to channel messes into creativity. I have some special things in the works too. Adventures, camping trips, hikes, and even a fun project or two that carry a lesson in kindness to others. I'll share more on that in a couple of weeks.

I haven't been blogging nearly as frequently lately as I have in the past. There are really two reasons for that; one more obvious than than the other. My days have changed in their rhythm. I have more stops to make, more places to go to watch boys throw balls, run, swim, kick, and race things. I also have been thinking a lot about my mission with this space. Not just the topics of posts but the overall direction of my blog. My heart has changed and grown a larger place for things beyond food and healthy eating. I am holding space in my heart for something bigger.

I will turn 40 this summer and, with that, comes a lot of introspection. This summer will be an experiment for me. I am writing to record things for me. Things that I want to remember and things that I want to share with others so that they might add them to their summer plans as well. I have a summer writing calendar that I will attempt to follow. I will be sharing our projects, adventures, joyful things, and some food stuff too. Mostly, I want to capture what I think will be both a great summer and a period of growth for me.

My seven year old wrote a short paragraph and drew a picture to share his summer plans:

Happy summer!