I can’t believe the end of the school year is almost over. Virginia public schools run later into June than most schools anywhere else, so I’m sure most of you folks reading this are shaking your heads and going, “What do you mean, almost over? School’s been over!”
Anyway, we poor folks in Virginia have one more week left, and then… No more teachers! No more books! No more waiting at the bus stop! Huzzah! Because trust me, even though I’m the parent, I still feel like it’s me suffering through school every year.
So what will la Casa de Madden be doing this summer? Oh, this and that. I’ve got both girls signed up for a week of summer camp. And once again, we will be working on the garden. This year’s container garden is looking pretty impressive, even if I couldn’t get any vegetables to grow beyond the tomato and pepper plants. The herbs are doing good though, and I’m very pleased with that. Princess became fascinated with the herbs when I told her we could make tea with the chocolate mint plant we bought. I foresee us having many herbal tea parties this summer.
I also foresee ninjas in the backyard. I discovered yesterday that I have a McCall’s pattern for ninja costumes. Princess really wants to be a ninja. I had thought she would ask for a pink costume, but she has surprised me by asking for one in orange instead. Hm… a ninja in a blaze orange outfit? She will have to be a master of invisibility to pull that one off!
Ninja costumes also mean sewing, which is something I’m just aching to do. It’s been forever since I’ve done any sewing. Well, okay, I haven’t sewn since I got pregnant with Princess, so not quite forever. But I’ve got all sorts of patterns for costumes and home decorating, and get this! I’ve got “Elvis LIVES!” fabric in orange and avocado green! I’m making some laundry hampers out of that stuff!
Of course, this means I will need to teach Princess and Pixie to sew, so I foresee us having a couple afternoons a week of sitting inside, where it’s nice and cool, and cutting fabric and pinning patterns and occasionally accidentally sewing ourselves to whatever we’re working on. I never fail to do that whenever I work on a sewing project.
Beyond that, I’m thinking swimming and hiking and drawing and crafting and washing the car and water balloon fights and trips to the beach and the museum and picnics at the botanical gardens and maybe even a camping trip or two.
Basically, I’m looking forward to having my kids back for the summer, and doing things with them. And I look forward to having days free to go where we want and do what we do.
Here’s to a grand summer vacation.
