Easing into Summer

We started the day in School Mode, but from lunchtime on, we were in Summer Mode.

Considering the temperature outside was in the mid-90s, it seemed appropriate.

Schoolwork was accomplished quickly this morning. Around lunchtime, the other homeschooling friends came over and we all headed to the pool.

This is a nice week to go to the pool, since most of the schools are still in session. It was still crowded, but more like a dinner-time level of crowded, which is fine for me. My favorite hours to be at the pool have always been from 3-8 - just about when the camps leave, the pool bus for the local neighborhoods leaves, and families start packing up and heading home to make dinner. This is the time when there are just enough people there to make it fun, but not so many that it's hard to find a free spot in the pool.

So we had a good day. My friend is fun and interesting and easy to be with, and our kids have a great time together. When it came time to head over to karate, they were having so much fun we gave them an extra hour. Two hours tonight at the dojang instead of three. Oh well...

I thought after being out in the heat for hours I wouldn't want to do both kickboxing and class tonight - but I went anyway, and was glad I did. Kickboxing was brutal - and amazing. I was even more drenched than usual, if that's possible. There's something about getting to that point where there's nothing else in your head but counting 300 crunches or running 7 laps or holding a side plank even though your arm is shaking... The endorphins kick in, the world goes away, and I completely surrender to what I'm doing and thank God for this body and this strength that I never knew I had.

And then I changed and went to class and started learning my green belt material. Green is sort of the bridge between Intermediate and Advanced. If we'd had a category in middle and high school for "Least Athletic" I would have won it. It took me 40 years and 3 kids to find my inner athlete, but I found her and I love her.

So glad the summer schedule will mean more days like this for me and the boys and our friends.