I must admit, Summer is not my favorite season. I don’t know if I became this way due to marrying a man who would rather vacation in Alaska in February than head to the beach any time of year or if pregnancy in the summertime pretty much ruined my taste for the heat. No matter the reason, from the moment the temps head over 90, our family is ready to lay around the house drinking lemonade and panting like dogs while we dream of vacationing in the mountains.
Unlike many American families, summer around here is a time when we slow down. Sure, we have our fair share of Boy Scout Camps and horse riding lessons and such, but we do not run a break-neck pace through the summer. We sort of simmer through summer. Slow-cook, if you will.
Here are a few more facts about my slow summer style…
*I like to get up earlier in the summer – Back when Ty was deployed, I would get up early on those summer mornings and read my Bible and watch the sun come up on my front porch before my two little ones would rise for the day. Those are precious memories for me. Since early morning is the only time of day that is not hot in the summer months (for the most part), I like to drink it in!
*I keep my little ones out of the sun – We typically do not head outside for the day until after 5pm. We do occasionally go out in the morning (especially to do school), but for the most part, we stay out of the direct sunlight. I have fair-haired, fair-skinned babies, so no sun-bathing here.
*Meals become what I like to call Amish Lunch. In my early married years, I read a syndicated newspaper column called The Amish Cook. She would write about what they had for meals and I was struck by how often lunch would consist of assorted garden produce (some pickled, some not), cheese, bread, jams and butter. In the summer months I adopt this Amish Lunch with our own flair! We’ll often be found snacking on cheese and crackers, carrot sticks and pickles. We’ll eat tortillas rolled up with whatever I can find in the refrigerator or crackers and dip. Cold, practical and so-not-fancy!
*We school year round. It just makes sense for our family since our major vacation of the year is not in the summer months (off-season is a beautiful thing for a large family!) and I never know when the next baby might be joining our family or we might need to loan a big kid out to a grandparent.
*Running through the sprinklers beat public swimming pools any day. Public swimming pools and beaches can be a nightmare for a large family with more littles than bigs. (Not to mention the rather scantily-clad young ladies you see there), so we prefer to stick close to home and play in the sprinklers. We also have a hot tub at our new house that has the ability to be a “cool” tub in the summer, so we turn it down and use it as a pool of sorts.
*I like my skirts and sandals in the summer. There is just something lovely about a long-flowing skirt and a cute pair of sandals in the summertime. I feel as if I’ve stepped out of a painting of ladies walking in a flower garden in England.
If you are looking for more skirt ideas, check out the She Wears Skirts series I did with Caroline from The Modest Mom and also see her store for lovely summer skirts like this Ruffled Skirt. You get 10% off your entire order when you use the code
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*I’m slow-paced by nature. I am naturally a Mary, not a Martha. I’m pretty laid back and would rather have a long conversation than clean a kitchen any day. Since I know this about myself, I have learned to clean first so I can be a Mary without detriment to my home all summer long.
So, what kind of Summer Mother are you? Slow-paced or super-busy? I’d love to hear about what makes your summer tick!
The Christian mother has an opportunity to die to self daily as she learns to love her husband and children. The Christian homeschooling mother of many often finds this opportunity amplified. She may even feel as though she is forced to die to self because of all the needs that cry out for her every moment.
Welcome back to 10 Days of Large Family Homeschooling
Next is lunch. By this point, we have been going strong with school and I almost hate to stop for nourishment! Lunch happens here between 12 and 1 pm – or whenever there is a natural lull in our school day. Occasionally, Daddy joins us, but most often, it is me and the 6 children. We typically have a light lunch rather than something heavy for two reasons:
Now, we all know you can’t feed your crew without either buying or growing your own food (or a mix of both), so here are a few of my favorite shopping posts:
Recently, we made the decision to watch more films that encourage our family to action and discussion. So many people mindlessly watch movies, but we wanted more than that. We wanted to bring wholesome God-honoring films into our children’s lives that did more than entertain.
