I'm a better mother in the summer

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to hit a "hot spell" in NJ. Instead of our normal 30's and 40's we had weather up in the 50's and 60's. Over the course of that warm weekend we managed to plan out our garden, clean up the remaining leaves in the yard, discuss our plans to make the yard a giant fun zone for the kids this year, plans for a new lettuce box and a wood shed. We figured out where we want to move the sand box and the play house... We got a lot done.

You see, I am a much better mother in the summer. Our mornings are spent either at the library or out in the garden. Our afternoons are spent at the pool. We eat dinner outside and then evenings are filled with long walks, trips to the playground, more swimming, bubbles, sidewalk chalk and sprinkler running. I love the warm weather and I love being outside so it's easy.

We go to the beach... 

 ... and the waterkpark, 

 festivals, 

 the pool, 

 carnivals,

and the aquarium. 

We have friends over...

and do family fun runs. 

We spend hours just hanging out, smelling the roses. 

Winters just make me think of being stuck inside (staring at the walls), tending to sick kids, laundry, and homework. Ugh... so not fun. I do my best to fill the days with baking or craft projects but I almost always feel like I fall short. I try to make sure that my kids don't look back and think that they had good parents... from April through October.