The lazy days of summer are even lazier
I received samples from Childlife to facilitate this post.
Summer for me is usually a time to slow down and this summer seems to be a way too slow for me. I usually like summer but I am not sure about my feelings for summer this year due to the C virus pandemic. I am sure that my kids are thinking the same thing about their summer experience too.
Our second summer this year
My kids have been out of school for more than 2 months as the online school thing was not really a school for them. The online school time that my boys had was already like their summer break as the weather here in Albuquerque was already warm. My boys only had about an hour of school the past couple of months and it was way too easy for them. So school online was more like their fun computer time. So now that their school is officially over for the year, the boys are even more bored and want to go back to school but this ugly lung virus outbreak is making that impossible for a while. I am worried that my boys might catch the Covid Slide. It has been hard for me to do the things that I need to do to prevent the Covid Slide in my kids.
Stuck at home is boring
Being stuck at home is boring for the whole family but we realize that we have to do our part to stop the spread of this lung virus. Our day starts with my youngest son and myself going running and then the boredom sets in for the boys. The boys can't do their typical summer activities like playing with their friends, playing at the park, or swimming at the pool. We did buy a hot tub for summer fun but it has not been delivered yet.
We are running out of books
My boys were happy when the library opened back up last week as they had no more books to read. For now, the boys can only check out books as the library wants people to be quick with their visit. The library even took out the chairs so people would not linger. The library was the boy's first time having to wear a face mask but they did it for some books to read. I have never seen two boys so happy to have books to read! The boys have been reading all day and have not even asked for computer time. I think the boys are even bored with playing games on the computer. They want to go back to school. My kids never thought that they would be saying they want to go back to school.
Lunch is the highlight of the day
The highlight of my boy's day is lunchtime. The city and schools are providing free lunch for kids, 5 days a week. So every day we drive to the school or park to pick up a free lunch. The free lunch is not a new thing for my boys but having to take them to go is. My city, in the past, has had a free lunchtime at the park but in the past, you had to eat the free lunch at the park. With the new rules, the city does not want anyone to stay at the park so that means not being able to play with their friends. So the boys bring their lunch home and join me at the table with my vegan tuna.
Even mom is bored
I never thought that I would be saying that I was bored but I am. Just don't tell my kids. It might be the heat that is making me bored as I don't feel like doing anything. I really wish that I had a pool or hot tub to cool off in. Living in the desert makes me super jealous of people who have water to swim in. I even looked up on Airbnb a house to rent that has a pool but there was only one and it was $800 a night! I am missing my trips to hotels with pools. The pools and hotel pools are not scheduled to open yet and pool operators are getting anxious for answers as I hear my husband, one of the cities pool inspectors, repeating the same thing day after day. I think I have memorized my husband's answer that he gives to pool operators.
A bucket of water for self-care
So my summer self-care has been happening with a bucket of water. My bucket is really an empty flower pot as the stores are sold out of kiddie pools. So my flower pot bucket of water is how I cool myself off on a hot day and pamper my feet at the same time. I even toss some bath salts into my foot soaking bucket. That way my dry feet are getting some much-needed self-care.
The dry heat of the desert does wonders for my feet. In the summer my feet are always dried and cracked. So I soak my dry feet daily and then use my foot buffer or foot sander as my husband likes to call it, to sand off the dry skin off my feet. Yes, I am so bored that I am daily buffing my feet.
I am not going to show you a picture of the heels on my feet as they are pretty ugly. My boys used to be fascinated with my dry feet but even that does not entertain them during this boring summer.
Self-care for the boys
Even the boys are getting some self-care in with a delicious non-gummy gummie vitamin. ChildLife sent us samples of their newest ChildLife Essentials® Multi-Vitamin SoftMelts™ and Healthy Vision SoftMelts™. These delicious soft orange-flavored and berry flavored vitamins are naturally sweetened and are free from the sugar found in many gummy supplements. My boys love the taste of the SoftMelts and the gummies did not stick to their braces.
So the boys are getting some added nutrition to their diet which is always a good thing during a virus outbreak. This multi-vitamin is filling in the gaps in my boy's diet as so many of their favorite foods are still hard to find at the grocery store. First, it was eggs and now it is pasta and frozen mangos. Grocery shopping sure has been a challenge lately.
I think that I am even tired of baking bread. I am not tired of eating bread though. Maybe it is the 97-degree weather that is making me tired of baking 60-minute white bread. The boys are not even asking me to bake frog bread. I might be able to convince the boys to make focaccia flower bread.
For now, we are only making sweets that don't require baking. So we have been making no-bake peanut butter granola bars and dairy-free salted caramels. Summer meals have been pressure cooker meals with beans and rice. The hot summer days call for endless pitchers of Fruit-Infused Cold Brew Ice Tea and tall glasses of cold brew coffee. Cold brew coffee is so easy to make so head here for an easy recipe for cold brew coffee.
How are you spending your summer?
16 comments:
We're going through the same things, we have been stuck at home since March. We're still enjoying reading, working and working out.
We didn't isolate ourselves or quarantine or anything like that, and have just used common sense and good hygiene as we would any time of year. So not much really changed for my family. We've been homeschooling all along, going shopping, visiting family and friends, and the local parks that were open. We're super happy about other venues that are open now like our local pool, restaurants and the zoo!
We've had either a pool or hot tub at our last 3 houses and I am certainly missing them this summer. I hope you find a way to cool off!
I hope you get your hot tub soon. We don't get as hot here in Canada but the humidity is a killer. My son hasn't said he's bored yet but I'm starting to feel it.
We've been baking a lot more these days and enjoying meals as a family. A great reminder to focus on what's important. :)
The best of the Spa at home, you have created a true corner of paradise and what you are talking about seems not bad!
I love this idea!! So relaxing!
We are stuck at home since March, it's been almost 4 months and the shelter-in-place is still in place. With an anticipated second wave in summer, these are some of the cool tips for me and my teenagers for the rest of the summer.
I love the creativity and fun you are having with your summer. staying in doesnt seem so bad when the weather is nice out.
I hope that your hot tub arrives soon and that it will relieve your boredom. Those gummies look great as well.
Yeah self care is really very necessary and important...This self care ideas really seems amazing and This seems like you are having most of the this...Thanks for sharing..
You've made me want to do a foot soak! I actually might do as I've spent the whole day cleaning. I'd love a hot tub!!
This is such a hard time for all of us, especially our kids! I've been trying to come up with art projects to help keep my kids entertained and bought assorted school books to help keep them entertained and prevent the slide. Thankfully we have a pool!
Summer hasn't started here yet. It's been raining every day this week. You reminded me I need to make a big jug of iced tea!
Summer over here got a cold. It has been raining non stop for a good week now. We can not enjoy even our balcony because it is cold out. I had more fun durning March and April lock down then I am now. Its blah
I have a toddler so she actually doesn't notice anything but I have a routine for her. And she goes outside for 2 hours in the afternoon. Because I live in the Caribbean the weather is super hot ans humid already so I try to teaxh her stuff and activities inside.
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