I'm Still Here! and June Rundown

Hi Friends! It's been a while, hasn't it? Like, I don't know, June??? The last time I blogged, I had just started summer vacation, and now I'm in the throes of another school year. I look back at that chunk of time and think, That went by so fast! At the same time, I'm not quite sure how we managed to pack so much into such a short time. Every time I thought about playing blog-catch-up, I was overwhelmed. Where should I start? So I've decided to give you a rundown of our summer...but I'm going to do it one month at a time. Here goes nothin'!

June

Pinsky Family Vacation...It was of to Gatlinburg for the Pinsky Crew this year. We got to spend time with Uncle Sherman and Aunt Nancy, as well as Momma and Pops. Ethan's favorite stop was the aquarium.

As soon as we got back, it was off to Cincinnati for Cindy's bachelorette party...also known as my first night away from Ethan. We painted pottery, ate a nice dinner, and spent a night out downtown. The next morning, Steven came home and made as breakfast!

I came home, unpacked, and repacked. This time, I was off to Atlanta for a conference, leaving my boys at home. I got to meet some lovely ladies from different schools in my corporation. It was refreshing to spend time with other passionate educators.

To round out the month of June, Kevin went out of town for his brother, Steve's bachelor party.

To the Park with Play Group

One of the things Ethan and I have been looking forward to regarding our summer break is rejoining our play group. This group of moms and littles were a great support to me, especially when I struggled with PPD and anxiety. One of the things I knew I'd miss when I went back to work was my biweekly meeting with these ladies. 

But now....we're back! Ethan and I enjoyed a romp in a local park  and then lunch together. It was such a sight...seven mommies and ten littles.

We can't wait until our next adventure with our friends!

Officially Summer

Yep. It's official. We're on summer break. 

Today was Ethan's first day at camp. He's moved into the 18-month room which means no more cribs for naps. My little big boy napped on a cot today for the very first time.

I got to have a little personal time while Ethan was having a ball at camp. I started my Couch-to-10K workout program with these brand new running shoes. I went home by myself. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've been home alone. I showered, made some salads for the week, organized some cabinets in the kitchen and ate lunch. I also got finish my first big-person book of the summer - Inferno, by Dan Brown. (FYI, this book wasn't as good as his others, but it was still a good read.)

After I picked Ethan up from camp - at the normal pick-up time, mind you - we went on a long walk and played outside a little bit.  We had a great dinner. Even Ethan got adventurous and tried some new foods on his plate! (By the way, I've decided to dedicate the summer to making new and different foods for Ethan to try to see if I can't get him to eat a larger variety of foods. I'll blog about this soon.)

A nice, warm bath, complete with play time and some stories capped off Ethan's night. He's now sound asleep and I'm sitting on the couch with absolutely no grading to do. Who knows...I might even start reading my next book!

I Made It...

...through my first year as a working mom. 

It was trying at times. Ultimately, it was extremely rewarding. Rewarding to the point that when Kevin mentioned something about me not having to work in a few years, I internally panicked. 

My class was huge so much fun. Not to say that there weren't some bumps along the way, but we made it. It was the perfect group to come back to. They had a great sense of humor, lots of motivation, and were bursting with creativity. I will miss them. (Even though I hear next year's class is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!)

Right now, I have my feet up and I'm ready to read my first "big person book" of the summer. 

Here's to another successful school year in the books!