Refreshed in the North

As the summer slowly slipped from July to August, our family closed

the chapter on yet another week-long family tradition.

We spent the week up at a lake cabin near the Hayward area. While no vacation could ever be "perfect" this was a much-needed escape and came close to reaching this title. We spent the week on a glorious lake with fantastic weather nearly every day. 

Some very close friends of ours were just across the bay with their three kids. Our families are close, and our kids get along swimmingly! They played hide and seek in the dark, sat by a campfire, roasted countless s'mores, fished and swam daily and just generally enjoyed each others' company. 

By having their companions to play with, the adults were able to enjoy some conversation and down time. We didn't solve any critical world issues, but we didn't even try! We too enjoyed our companions and the scenery of the great outdoors. Even our dogs romped with abandon and ran to their hearts' content. 

The only down side was the week came to far too abrupt an end. Why don't these moments stretch on a bit longer? Why does a hot dog taste so much better roasted over an open flame? Why is the sound of your kids' laughter like music as they bounce across the water on an inner tube? Like I said, it wasn't perfect. The gnat bites along my leg are evidence of that, but that was so worth it! So we came back a bit lighter, a bit more refreshed, even if we are scratching and itchy for the next few days! 

So until the great north woods beckons again, we have some wonderful new memories to carry us forward.

Seasons of change

Well today, as I sit and type out this blog post, I am struck by the sights and sounds of the end of summer.

It's still glorious and warm, robins dance in our yards and butterflies are still plentiful. But there is that underlying hint of fall. A sudden cool breeze or just the way the sun hits the pavement tells of a season soon to be upon us. 

My kids are anxious and ready for the steady drum of routine, and so is their mother! So while we are ready to end the chapter of another summer in Wisconsin, how are you preparing for fall? Do you read through the Halloween costume magazines that are already filling our mailbox? Do you glance longingly at your favorite pair of jeans or sweatshirt that has sat patiently on your shelf these past months? Maybe a long-neglected closet is screaming your name, to be purged and cleaned? I have a long and lengthy list of activities to be done and clothes to be worn once the seasons change and the kids head to school. I'm not ready to pack the beach towels up quite yet, and I am still planning on wearing my shorts for a bit longer, but I'm mentally preparing for cooler days and time spent with my hands curled around a steaming mug of coffee. 

Living in a place that experiences four true seasons is comforting. We get out and embrace all the time when the heat and sun is plentiful, somehow soaking it in to carry us through during our bitter months of winter. Summer takes on an almost mystical tone, because we don't have the luxury of having it with us year round. I think each season brings it's own enjoyments, fuzzy sweaters, an old pair of boots, or your favorite swimming suit. So until summer is officially over, I'll take a few more swims in the pool and hopefully enjoy a few more nights dining outside with friends. After all, that is one of the beauties of living here, 90 degrees one minute, and minus 30 the next!

Gone fishin'

Well, we are about at the mid point in our journey through summer. 

 Are you getting out and staying active? Have you eaten your fill of farm-fresh strawberries? 

 Or are you like me and wondering where the time has gone and why this season has to fly by in a blink when other, colder seasons seem to drag on forever?

I have checked a few goals off my list, including going fly fishing for the first time in more than ten years! We live in an area blessed with spectacular places to explore and try to catch a beautiful trout or two! Within 30 minutes of leaving our home, we were standing in the middle of stream, surrounded by bluffs and the peace of being in the middle of nature, alone with nothing but our thoughts and a fly rod! It didn't even dampen my spirits to walk away without a fish. I felt fulfilled enough just to have started my day off this way. 

I've often said this area is what you make of it. There is no shortage of actives to try out. We have the beautiful Mississippi right out our doorstep, and the lush streams that feed it just over the bluffs. So go grab a pint of fresh-picked berries, grab a friend and try to hook into a new hobby! Or maybe you are a master fly fisherman or woman? Teach this beautiful sport to someone new. But don't wait too long, summer is halfway over!

Fly Fishing

Fishing Reports

Sun Safety

The battle has begun. The battle of sunscreen versus squirmy children and an insistent mother.

"Stand still or you will get it in your eyes."

"Rub it in, you missed a spot!"

"Mom, it's cold, stop!"

All of these and more, are frequently heard in our house, morning, noon and night. We have started our summer activities and the sun has finally reappeared--so has the infamous white cream. I have started to do more homework on the type of sunscreen that I choose to use. There is no shortage of options--sprays, lotions, sticks, foams.

Which is best, which is safest? We want a broad spectrum, protecting from both harmful UVA and UV rays. Guidelines recommend an spf rating of 15- 50+, but do not forget to reapply and reapply often. A higher spf tends to make people believe they are protected for longer, which is not true. In short, ingredients matter. Avoid any sun product whose label says retinyl palmitate, retinol or vitamin A. Look for ingredients zinc oxide, avobenzone and Mexoryl SX. These protect us from harmful UVA radiation. Avoid the sunscreen chemical oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that penetrates the skin and can disrupt the hormone system.

The best sun protection is to use common sense, cover up when you can and seek or create shade. Color on our skin does not mean healthy. This is such an important message to teach our children, especially teenagers. So while the battle rages on in my house, and many others, it's such an important one. Be sensible, and proactive, and if you can, practice your wrestling moves! It's helped me, and ultimately we will do anything to keep our kids safe.


Sun Safety Tips

Summer days...popsicles, sprinklers and creating fun

I've been giving a lot of thought recently to my childhood. We would spend our summers riding our bikes, maybe going to the pool, having an occasional lemonade stand.

My mom would set up the sprinkler and we would spend hours running through it, popsicles dripping down our arms. We played tag with the neighborhood kids until well past dark.

If we had a scheduled activity, it was usually a week at camp, but never longer and never lasted for an entire summer. It was a great way to spend a summer.

It wasn't perfect, and we complained of being bored, but we were often left to entertain ourselves, which can be a great thing.

Now it seems as though kids are scheduled, shuffled, dropped off and picked up constantly. Our neighborhood does not have many kids, so part of this is due in part to where we live. But there are days I want my kids to get into a bit of trouble exploring and creating fun on their own. It's a sign of the times that we supervise our children more, as safety is often a concern. Somedays it's sad. I wish for summers spent on a bike, making forts in the woods.

But I can't sit and daydream too long, I'm late for picking the kids up from summer school...

Thoughts on warm-weather meals?

It's hard to drum up an appetite with such oppressive heat day after day. Trying to please everyone in my household is challenge enough.

Any thoughts on good warm-weather meals to please even the fussiest eater?

Tonight we will be having fresh corn on the cob and BLT sandwiches. Some will opt for only a B some will be BL, some might just do plain toast! I need to make a visit to the farmer's market and look for inspiration this weekend. My husband makes fun of me for buying so much fresh produce, but it's available for such a short time and it just doesn't get any better than local, fresh ingredients!

Let me know what inspires you on these hot summer days.

Fun on the 4th

Fun is celebrating the fourth of July with a great group of people and watching your kids have the time of their lives playing with new friends.

Fun is watching your 4-year-old's face light up while twirling a sparkler running around as carefree as ever. Fun is letting your 7-year-old eat only dessert for dinner.

Fun is watching their expressions as they take in the fireworks well past their bedtime!

Fun is tucking your children in at night and smelling their baby skin as it smells like summer, sunscreen, heat, and bug spray.

Agony is the morning after letting your kids stay up well past their bedtimes and eating only dessert for dinner.

Finding summertime balance

Well it's official, I think I should become a taxi driver. I have done more running around with my kids and their summer schedule this second week of break than ever! I am trying to find a happy balance between structured activity and plain 'ol summertime fun.

Then to top it off is the struggle to fit in some "me" time as well! We went to basketball camp, the Y, a reading tutor, a swim meet and a playdate all on a Tuesday! That was after we skipped tennis and swimming lessons!! I tried not to over schedule this summer but I don't think I have succeeded. I need to remember that kids are happy just being kids.

The highlight of our week was when they successfully managed to retrieve a rock stuck in a sewer grate. They got to enlist the help of the older, cooler neighbor kids and were beyond excited to show me their rescued rock! Honestly, there is so much to say for doing nothing! I'm off to set up the sprinkler now…