Summer Adventures…

Summer has been a little bit of a bust around here.

The kids have been busy with various sports and trying to arrange any time to get all three of them the same place at the same time is an unbelievable task! Not to mention, I’ve been busy with work. I’m nearing my one-year anniversary of starting Drawbridge Creative, and the last two months I’ve had the feeling that maybe, maybe…I’m actually going to make it!

I worked and drove and worked some more through a hectic summer schedule of Hockey and Dryland, Riding and Volleyball…with Spider-Man working every weekend and The Tall Blonde working full time! Bone’s attended a couple of camps and took in a few horse shows…I did it all…including the dog having surgery and a “For Sale” sign on my front lawn!

What resulted was a summer of mass chaos with no great adventures…no big gatherings, no walks on the beach, no week-long getaway to rest and regroup. It felt, instead, that I spent my time trying to “fit things in.” Visits with family were in between runs to the barn…a long overdue phone call was made from the parking lot of the rink. Things were done with one maybe two kids at most…rarely, all three at the same time.

This month’s Netflix #StreamTeam challenge was about “Adventures”…and while the last few Summers have been filled with one adventure after the next…this year, I’ve felt a little more like “Julie the Cruise Director.” I’ve made sure everyone got where they needed to be to make their summer a glorious success…and I’ve kind of gotten a little lost in the process.

On Friday, Bones and I curled up on the couch, turned on Netflix and reviewed the list of suggested “adventure” shows. In there…National Treasure with Nicholas Cage…a story full of intrigue and adventure that had my busy mind resting in no time. About fifteen minutes in, Bone’s declared she remembered the movie and it was, in fact, one of her favourites. Half an hour in, we paused to help the dog get positioned comfortably next to us on the couch and I answered a couple of texts from The Tall Blonde. An hour in, Spider-Man arrived home from a shopping trip so we paused to check out his new purchases. An hour and a half in…and we had to turn it off as Bones and Spider-Man headed off with their father for the weekend.

Later that evening…while The Tall Blonde was moving her things back into the house after her summer of living downtown, I grabbed the dog and a blanket, turned on the TV and watched the end of what turned out to be a rather enjoyable show.

I missed Bones curled by my side but more than that, I miss not having a week where we stopped everything we were doing to spend a little time together as a family. I miss cracking a beer by an open fire, sleeping in, throwing all caution to the wind and jumping in the frigid cold lake water. I miss s’mores and friends and laughter by the second.

This summer has been a little nuts. However, while we’re all running in different directions…while I directed more than participated…there were some fabulous moments thrown in. Fit in between this amazing life that’s absolutely filled with one glorious adventure after the next.

Maybe it wasn’t the summer I was used to…maybe we were scattered a little more than normal…but those moments we grab, those times spent together even if brief, even if it’s simply to curl up in front of Netflix and enjoy a show together…make it all worthwhile.

Disclaimer: I am a member of Netflix’s #StreamTeam and have been compensated with a complementary Netflix subscription as well as a few other perks from time to time. The stories and opinions are all my own.