what august has taught me

things august has taught me

camping in the rain | we can do it!!! i learned some important things about staking and folding tarps under to prevent puddling {great word, eh? learned it from the man with the yellow hat}. we survived three nights of rain quite nicely and would consider doing it again!

do what feels good | now i'm not suggesting a lifestyle of self-indulgence, not at all. but what i have noticed is that my body has a certain rhythm and it's better to move with the current rather than against it. this month i felt like adventuring, so we adventured. when we got home i felt like cleaning {good timing, eh?} so i mopped and scrubbed and organized and sorted and cleaned. before our trip i really wasn't feeling like cleaning or prepping for another school year, but getting that wanderlust out of my system did wonders to my motivation. now i think we're all ready to hit the books.

there will be another chance | our trip to the olympic peninsula and the washington coast didn't turn out exactly as i had hoped, but instead of getting discouraged or depressed, i decided to make lemonade. we abandoned our plans and drove looking for sunshine and sandy beaches instead. i've realized that there will be another time. it's not all or nothing. we can go back and explore rialto beach another summer. we can go back to lake crescent for kayaking next year. we do the best we can and look forward to trying again later.

less talking, more walking | blogging has always been a fun creative release for me. in past years, it has helped motivate me to get out and do interesting things with the kids, but lately i've felt tied up with blogging without enough time to go and do. august was much less talking and more walking and it felt really good. i have so many photos of our adventures, i'll never be able to share them all, but there will be summary posts and i'll continue to scrapbook our photos with picaboo.

nature doesn't overstimulate | too many people do. when we go on nature adventures with just a few people -- it's perfect.

carefree is nice | it hasn't come naturally to me. i spent much of my childhood worrying and not always feeling safe. i have envied my husband and actually wished he would worry more so i wouldn't be the only one in agony. i still get anxious unnecessarily and drive people crazy, but i'm learning to let go. things might not work out just right, but i'm learning to be flexible and roll with the punches.

boys are easy to please | they just need sticks and rocks. maybe some sand or dirt. a brief interlude for climbing of bicycling. and lots of snacks. makes them happier than expensive tickets to the zoo or waterpark. seriously. find yourself a free beach and take a canteloupe.

what did august teach you? are you ready for the routine of the school year yet? 
linking up with emily at chatting at the sky