Summer!

We kicked off summer break with an end-of-school-year celebration. I "graduated" each kid from his or her respective grade and I gave a little speech highlighting all the many things they had learned, accomplished, and experienced during this particularly crazy school year.

I wanted a simple but exciting meal so I made ice cream sundaes and french fries to dip them in! But they were all healthy, natural ingredients so I had zero guilt.

Ice cream was "n'ice cream" (frozen bananas, Malk, and vanilla) and for topping options I chopped up a Hu simple dark chocolate bar, blended dates + water for caramel, warmed and the blended strawberries for a strawberry syrup, and bought the least offensive sprinkles I could find. I meant to set out chopped pecans too but forgot.

My husband just told me last night "Ugh, I can't wait for winter" and I fully agree but I'm trying hard to embrace summer anyway!

Here's our summer bucket list:

🌞 back to school feast

🌞 first day of summer feast

🌞 make ice cream

🌞 make pillowcase dresses

🌞 play at a nearby lake 

🌞 finish our current read-aloud and then start the next one! 

🌞 sprinklers

🌞 summer reading programs

🌞 tent in living room for a movie sleepover

🌞 watermelon slushies

🌞 chess tournament?

🌞 play at the nearby river

🌞 water fight

🌞 paint Bob Ross rocks!

🌞 freeze stuffed animals

Aaaaand, of course, some summer picture books we have enjoyed: Let it Shine // The Little Blue Cottage // Little Houses // Sunrise Summer // When Lola Visits