The last days of Summer are upon us, and today we’re sharing how we’ve managed the season with our kiddos: what’s worked, what’s been a challenge, and what we’re taking away from the experiences.

Samantha: Summer with Baby

Summer is slowly coming to an end. The days are getting shorter and the evenings cooler. Aren’t the changing seasons are always so bittersweet? Reflecting on our summer with Baby Girl makes me feel very nostalgic.

We had the occasional trip to the swimming pool, managed to plant a garden and enjoyed a firework or two. For the most part, however, we survived the hot summer weather with carrot popsicles, porch rockers and evening stroller rides.

I became a Popsicle addict this year. I live on those cool, refreshing treats! It was so exciting when the wee one turned 6 months, and got the green light for baby food. I was able to make home-made popsicles for her out of her baby foods. (The runnier ones worked the best.) These turned out to be a life saver! She absolutely loves her veggie pops! They were the perfect cool, healthy treat when the weather was so uncomfortably warm. You could do this with anything for baby-fruits, veggies, breast-milk or formula. I’m looking forward to using these when she starts teething as well!

Here’s how you can make your own:

Baby Girl and I are lucky to have friends that live close by. We went on several afternoon strolls together. Our little ones love their strollers! In the evenings, we like to sit as a family in the rocking chairs on the front porch. It’s nice to wind down basking in the warm summer breeze. Our daughter loves to watch the cars drive by.

These baby-friendly activities got me through the season. How about you? What did you and your little one enjoy this summer?

It has been a wonderful summer with our precious little one. We’re looking forward to the new fun that fall will bring. Leaf piles and apple cider, anyone?

Katy: Summer with Toddlers

I know most moms may say that they are excited for their kids to go back to school, but I can honestly say that I am not happy about it…I will feel a certain sadness. I am going to miss my oldest (the only one going to school). She has been such a fun and helpful person to have home. I love having my children close around me.

Our summer has consisted of lots of time with cousins, a quick camping trip and a few day trips. We also had swimming lessons, daily chores, gardening, piano lessons and lots of playing. I am a simple type of girl and we keep our life fairly simple. We do the necessities, and then we try to keep the day fairly open to whatever may come.

One of our family reunions was held at a campground with a water park. The campground was busy, with trucks and trailers coming in and out and with a 20-month old, you can imagine how busy I was trying to keep him safe. We also had to keep a close eye on him when we were swimming, as the first thing he did on that first afternoon was slip away at a full run and head straight for the deep end of the pool. We caught him a foot away from going in, boy those little legs can move fast. Needless to say the trip was exhausting and my husband and I were both glad to be home, where things are baby proof.

It’s always fun to spend time with family during the summer and build those bonds. I think my kids feel like they have had a great summer building relationships with each other and their cousins. These will be the days they will remember about their childhood, and I think they will be good memories.

Audrey: Summer with Kids

I remember my childhood summers as all ‘kick-back & relax’. Ahh, the blissful ignorance of youth! Little did I know how tricky it was for my mom to juggle her out-of-school pack of kids with her responsibilities in her fledgling company. While my mind still envisions summer as slow and easy…that’s not exactly been the case. Our summer has been filled with music lessons, play dates, appointments, and a couple great weeks of camping. Sprinkled in with that has been lots of time with cousins, swimming, hiking, and a museum or two.

What I’m currently loving most about summer with my elementary/middle schoolers is that I don’t have to follow behind them as closely as I did when they were toddlers. Everyone can buckle themselves into the car, get their own drinks of water, even make their own toast on busy mornings! That said, it’s still a herculean effort to get us all out the door on time for whatever activity we’re heading to. Also, I’m finding that it is a delicate balancing act to stay on top of technology use, make sure they’re performing their household duties, and still keep things as relaxed as possible.

With all the hustle and bustle, I’ve deliberately tried to be in the moment: to remember that I’ll never have that moment back & appreciate who I’m with, where we’re at, what we’re doing, and enjoy the soft kiss of the warm breeze on my face.

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Please join us, and let us know the highs and lows of *your* Summer!