What I'm Into and Learning (July 2014 Edition)

Vacation Learning:
We're back from a big road trip. We loaded up the family and drove to San Diego. Why San Diego? I bought badges for Luke and Paul to attend two days of San Diego Comic Con back in March. Honestly, I was a little jealous that I didn't get to go to Comic Con too. It really looked like a lot of fun. We're already thinking about coming back next year for Comic Con, but maybe with just the big boys and without all the driving! We'll see.

 I believe that it's important to have family vacations even when they're not always easy or relaxing. It's not easy to be cramped to the max in a minivan for what seems like endless driving through the desert.(We drove through Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. There's a lot of desert out there, but yet I find those Joshua Trees so amazing.) Yet, we did it, but I think our family is definitely outgrowing our Toyota Sienna. It just felt way too small on this car trip.

I love this picture above. It was truly the one day of the week long vacation that felt the most relaxed. This is the beach near the Coronado Hotel on Coronado Island. This was the day that the kids looked the most relaxed as well. The twins didn't really even want their feet touching the water. So, unfortunately, I didn't get all five of them in the Pacific. The twins did, however, happily play in the sand for hours. It was totally worth it to buy them cheap buckets and shovels.

This Summer has been about all kinds of learning and I especially learned some things on our family road trip this year.

1. I don't think I really like long road trips anymore. I've definitely identified myself as an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) this year. (Until this year, I had no idea that everyone didn't experience the world the way I did.) The car noise, kid noise, and that trapped feeling all contribute to sensory overload in the car for me.

2. I can't read in the car anymore. I don't know what happened, but I can no longer focus on a book while riding in the car. What a huge disappointment for me. When I was a kid, I loved nothing more than sitting in the backseat with a book. Actually, I do realize what happened. I grew up and became a mother. I've also learned that I kind of save my reading time for when I'm alone. It's my treat for the end of a long day. I realize that I only read when everyone's asleep. It has to be quiet. The car was almost never quiet. I suppose reading in the car just didn't feel like my time. I barely read in San Diego either despite having my Kindle and two hardcover books along with me. While I watched the twins at the beach, I did envy some of the people I saw relaxing and reading. I even saw a woman knitting on the beach. I watched the twins delight in putting sand in their buckets and dumping it out.

3. I love eating outside. I'm immediately drawn to any restaurant with outdoor seating. It just feels like Summer. Eating outside makes me want to savor Summer more.

4. I can't believe I really didn't feel like knitting in the car either. I brought along two WIPs and I finished neither. I feel stunned myself that I'm just needing a break from the needles. That's not like me at all.


Other things I've discovered this summer:

1. Zumba is really hard for me. I've struggled all summer. My brain seems to be short-circuiting trying to assimilate all those Latin moves, but there's something cool about making your brain work harder.

2. I lost interest in maintaining a garden at least for now. I realize that's okay. I can take breaks from things. I can pursue other things. It's okay to change because we're always in flux. It's just not the season for me.

3. I don't really like French Fries anymore. That's probably a good thing, but also kind of weird. I only really realized that this year even though I don't even eat fries much.

I borrowed this pic from Modern Mrs Darcy. Since we just got back from San Diego Comic Con International, I figure this image is apropos for July. Super hero reader? That's me! I can read several books at the same time. That's my super power.

July Reading:

July has been a slow month in terms of reading. Like I mentioned earlier, I found it near impossible to read much while we were in San Diego and now, we're gearing up for the new school year. Hence, I'm making slow progress on these books (Super Hero Reader powers fading?)

I'm listening to the audio version of this book. Think Cher from Clueless transplanted from her cushy life in Beverly Hills to almost rural farm in Oklahoma. It's a fun light YA Christian novel.

The Screen:

Honestly, I haven't been watching much more than the Jimmy Fallon monologue here and there. I'm waiting patiently to see The Giver and The Hundred Foot Journey on the big screen later this month.

That's it for now. Click on over to Leigh Kramer to find out what she's into in July.