I Heart Summer

Why do I heart summer?

I will admit, I do truly heart it BUT it isn't my favorite season. That would be fall. I love the weather of fall, going out for hikes, high school football games, colorful trees. I do love fall.

However, I do heart summer too, just not quite as much. Why you ask? (Just pretend you asked, just for me...)

• No curling iron. It is a rare thing for me to use a curling iron in the summertime. I just brush and go, this summer more than most because my hair is too long to do anything with anyway. (It is driving me crazy)
• Not setting the alarm. We have had to do it more this summer than usual due to camps and such, but still, most mornings it is not set. I wake up to the "preschooler" alarm...the one yelling over the monitor, "Get me up, Mom! I want out of here!" :)
• Afternoon naps. I have a very wacky sleep schedule in the summertime. I stay up late, sleep in as much as I can, which is not as much as I want. Then take an afternoon nap. That night, I cannot sleep after the nap, so I stay up late again. It is a vicious cycle. I know, I know, I stay up late all year, but it is much worse in the summer. Love those afternoon naps though.
• Checking e-mail and Facebook throughout the day. No, not all day. Tempting though. :) But at naptime, I usually catch up on Facebook posts which is better than the school year. When I catch up then it takes a REALLY long time. I much prefer doing it in small doses.
• Trying out new recipes. I am not as likely to try out new recipes during the school year. I stick to my "tried and true" recipes. I am not complaining. I have a cookbook full of them. But it is fun in the summer to have a little more time to try something new. Our newest one is Lasagna in a Bun which I found in a magazine. Oh, yum. We had some tonight.
• Leisurely lunches. Obviously during the school year, I have learned to eat very quickly. In the summer, I like to sit, read the paper or a magazine, and enjoy the taste of my food.
• Trips to the beach. Even the oily ones.
• Time to organize. Not much, mind you. With four kiddos, one being a very busy toddler, I take what I can get. But it is more than I have energy for during the school year.
• Hanging out in my pj's until I am forced to get dressed. I love having Pajama Day any day. :)
• Catching up on my magazine reading. During the school year, I only get snippets to read through a magazine. During the summer, I get to read more.
• Speaking of reading, I read actual books during the summer, usually on vacation.
• Lightning bugs. I love to watch them light up the evening sky. Brings back many memories from my childhood.
• Meteor showers, especially in August. My oldest and I like to go out there and count how many "shooting stars" we see.
• Fruit. I love the variety of fruit available this time of year. I eat a few things but our youngest can eat his weight in fruit. And I am pretty sure he does in the summertime.
• Laid back schedules. We may just decide to go to the zoo one day (did last year) and just went. Love that flexibility.

I could go on and on, but I need to head to bed. So, tell me, what is something you heart about summer?

Reba