I felt like going to a local pond, so we did. And it was awesome. Thanks to bribing some older kids with fast food, I got everyone there, and we all enjoyed ourselves. For teenagers, that meant sitting in a camp chair and playing phone games, but some nature is better than no nature. We got the paddleboard out, swam in the pond (we did check the website for water quality first), played on the playground a bit, and went on a short walk around the lake. I think a fishing pole got cast a couple of times too.

I need time in nature to feel like myself. Small, local adventures like this are perfect to fulfil that need.

In other big news, I sent my last kid to her first day of school. She did awesome, walked in with a smile on her face and had a good time. She’s ready. I got a bit emotional: I just sent my last little one away to school. It’s a big deal, but a good milestone to reach. (Another huge milestone is having no kids in diapers anymore. There’s only happiness in that one. And taking down the crib, which I do not need to keep, but I did store it because I had the same crib for all five kids, and I can get sentimental sometimes.)