5 Reasons This Was The Best Summer Ever

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My childhood summers used to be a lot of free time: some studies, fun time with mom, and a lot of time spent traveling with family in India. In short, they were life lessons that helped shape me. I strive to do the same for my kids: provide them with a wholesome summer.

After the first year of kindergarten, I was immensely looking forward to the summer vacation. No more waking up and sleeping early. No more lunches to pack. A little time away from the rigid schedule. After having my own little ones to cherish, this certainly was the best summer ever.

Cherished Time With Kids At Home

No summer camps. No classes other than the ones they already were in. Just time for us to connect.

The last year was new to me. My son used to be all day at school then in classes three days a week. With playtime with friends after dinner, I honestly felt I hardly got to see him. So, over the summer, I decided to have the kids all to myself. Greedy me! Ha!

We visited parks and libraries. Water fun. Lego creations. Board games. Grocery shopping together. A lot of reading and snuggle time. Movies at the park and theaters. It was a pleasure just to have them playing around me, even while I worked.

Epic Cross-Country Road Trip

We decided impromptu to take a cross-country road trip, and it was truly a once in a life time tour. The car ride, the stop overs at fun rest stops, hotel rooms (Can you say, “Pools?”), the beautiful vistas, the amazing foods we discovered are wonderful memories we created. The journey itself was a wondrous experience indeed.

© Aditi W. Singh

Visiting Denver, Chicago and St. Louis

Yes, we visited these three very different places, and it was amazing! We couldn’t do a lot of sightseeing, but we had a lot of relaxing time visiting with friends and hit many of the spots we had planned on visiting.

It was our first trip to Denver and St. Louis, and I can honestly say they were as different as chalk and cheese. It was a great experience for the kids not only to be introduced to different places but all the different people, too.

Celebrating Indian Festivals

Indian Festivals for our family go by the Hindu calendar which keep changing every year. For the past few years, the dates have been moving backward consistently. This year, three of the festivals RakshabandhanJanmashtami, and Ganesh Chaturthi fell during the summer. This meant we could really delve into what the festivals are about, and the kids participated in putting up decorations and helping with the food.

Calm Amidst The Chaos

Of course, as you can see, it’s been a super hectic summer. As we all know, the kids being home means moms have to plan out days with activities while managing mom stuff + work.

But one thing I realized during our road trip and the subsequent days was how much more important it was to me to be present with them and myself. I reassessed my goals in my own initiative. I realized I was wearing myself thin. I needed to take stock of all my plans and cut down and further focus on prioritizing my priorities down to long term and short term goals. I feel so much more at peace now with this self awareness setting in.

This summer was one to remember indeed!