Welp.  Summer break is over.

I am obviously relieved that Stevie will be getting back to his regularly scheduled programming, but I’m also kinda… flabbergasted, I guess?  I mean, it just went by so fast.  I don’t know how much you can even consider summer break to be a break when you have summer school and summer camp and therapy and doctor’s appointments and everything else.  But we did get a whole 2 weeks off together.  And that seemed plenty.  It certainly had it’s ups and downs.  Lots of swimming (FUN) and Hot Wheels (BORING) and bike riding (MEH) and a new museum (COOL) and the fair (YAY) and forced coloring/practicing letters (LORD HELP ME).

And last but not least, Stevie and I took a little road trip to Southern Utah.  I hemmed and hawed about this for weeks.  WEEEEEKS.  I just didn’t see how I could get through 6 hours each way in the car with him alone.  But I knew once we got there, he’d have a great time with his cousins and aunties and uncles and grandparents.  So at the last minute, I decided to pop a Xanax and just go for it.  (Kidding about the Xanax, but really wish I wasn’t.)

The drive up was hard.  Really hard.  I used a clicky-counter-thing to distract myself and keep track of how many times Stevie asked “are we there yet?”  For the record, it was 67.  He asked 67 times in 6 hours.  He also wanted snacks constantly and screamed bloody murder when I couldn’t help him get things out of his backpack because you know, I was driving.  But we made it in one piece and I was right that he had a great time.  I had a great time too.  Going back always reminds me why I fell in love with that area.  It’s hot this time of year, but no less spectacular.  The only thing I missed was being able to drive up to Zion.  Since it’s tourist season, it’s just impossible.  But I didn’t have to look far to find beautiful reminders of home.

I was pretty proud of myself with the packing situation as well and couldn’t wait to share.  I fit all of our stuff for 4 days in one little duffel bag.  I mentioned to my husband that my practice in the 10×10 challenges over the last couple years have really come in handy at times like this.  I had my outfits picked in like a minute.  Seriously.  Although I over-packed a tad because I didn’t even end up wearing my dress!  Here’s what I brought:

1. FLIP FLOPS (made in the USA) | SIMILAR for less
2. LINEN BUTTON UP SHIRT (made responsibly)
3. PACKABLE HAT (old from Madewell) | SIMILAR | SIMILAR (made responsibly)
4. WHITE TEE (made responsibly)
5. STRIPE DRESS (made responsibly + on sale)
6. TUNIC (made by me, fabric from Michael Levine) | SIMILAR
7. DROP CROTCH SWEATS (made responsibly)
8. DENIM SHORTS (old from Gap) | SIMILAR (organic cotton) | SIMILAR (for less)
9. JUMPSUIT in natural (made responsibly)
10. SWIMSUIT (went up one size for perfect fit) | SIMILAR (in plus size)

So as much as I hate to admit it — all in all, I’m glad I went against my better judgement and got a little road trip squeezed in for the end of summer.  It was nice to make some memories with my family.  And just so you know, the drive home was so much easier than the drive there.  He only asked “are we there yet” 28 times.  It’s an improvement, I’ll take it.

And even with summer technically being over, it will live on here for awhile, in a way.  The heat will stick around and I’ll kind of get my summer break while Stevie goes back in school.  Time to clean the house and do Medi-Cal paperwork and make more doctor appointments.  And obviously a mani/pedi at some point too.  Because I’m an adult and I do what I want.

Did you go anywhere fun this summer?

loves,
jaana