The Lazy Genius Podcast recently quoted someone who said August feels like a month-long Sunday night. And yes—that is exactly what it feels like!
Except for us, it’s not quite a full month before the back-to-school rush hits. My daughter officially starts school on August 19, but since she’s part of Link Crew—the team that welcomes incoming freshmen—she has training the week before, and she’ll be back on campus on the 18th for Freshman Round-Up.
As for me, I start teaching Fall semester on August 25, but my First-Year Experience trainings and meetings kick off on August 19 as well.
We still need to do some school shopping—clothes, supplies, all the things. And honestly? I’m hoping to pick up a few fun new items for myself too, to kick off the semester with a little extra joy.
Speaking of extra joy, let’s look back on the week that was and see what the favorites were! I’m linking up over at A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals again this week! Check out some of the other posts in the LinkUp!
#1 Favorite – Camp Pick-up!
This was definitely the highlight of my week—I got to see my daughter again after her time away at transplant camp.
We chose to pick her up at camp instead of meeting the bus at the church, and I’m so glad we did. It was wonderful to see the camp grounds again, and even better: one of her regular transplant nurses joined the camp crew on Thursday, so we got to see her too!
My daughter had another amazing week. She really seemed to connect with the other kids and build strong friendships. She was so proud to tell me that her counselor said she was the “embodiment of camp.”
As the camp wrapped up, she stood in the circle of miracle kids—and it truly felt like a full-circle moment.
#2 Program Aide Training Overnight
Another big highlight this week was leading our local Program Aide training—for the first time! My daughter served as a teen mentor, and I had two wonderful co-leaders plus our Council representative supporting the event.
We had eight girls, ranging from rising 6th to rising 12th graders, gather for an overnight training at our local center. A few years ago, I was mentored in how to lead this training by a Council staff member and her mom (both true role models for leaders, daughters, and parents). But until now, we hadn’t had enough older girls in our area to host one—so this was a big moment!
The girls learned about leadership, confidence building, conflict resolution, and girl development. They also worked together to plan a full campfire program—in just one hour! And they created a mock-up for a future Brownie event they could lead themselves.
Two of the girls headed home for the night, but the others stayed over. Four slept under the stars, and two camped out in a tent they helped set up! Our Council person and I slept outside, too, each in our own tent, to make sure the girls were safe and comfortable—especially since two were sleeping away from home for the first time.
I hadn’t planned on tent camping, so I brought a thick, cushy air mattress… that didn’t fit in my small tent. My daughter lucked out and got to sleep on it indoors, while I made do with some thin sleeping mats we keep at the center. But honestly? I didn’t mind. My back’s only a little sore, and waking up to trees, blue skies, and a chorus of birds was more than worth it. Thanks to the Merlin app, I found out there were at least seven bird species in the trees around us that morning! We had one bird visitor during the training that did not show up on my Merlin App though. Photo below.
The girls woke up on their own—maybe a bit sluggish, but cheerful. After breakfast, they completed one final task: planning their Brownie event! Then they tackled their Kapers (our Girl Scout word for assigned chores) and did a fantastic job returning the center to its clean, organized state after our whirlwind 24 hours of crafts, cooking, tents, games, and campfire fun.
I was genuinely impressed. I can’t wait to see how these girls continue to grow as leaders and role models in our Girl Scout community!
#3 Some kitten snuggles
With all that was going on this week, it was nice to enjoy some downtime with our most snuggly pets! Our kittens are almost a year old and they are getting more lap friendly as the days go by.
That’s a wrap on July!
This morning, I’m packing up for our Girl Scout Service Unit Team Retreat—complete with a 4.5-hour CPR/First Aid re-certification tonight (wish me luck!). It’s a two-hour drive to the lake where we’re retreating, and I’m looking forward to planning, some lake time and a lot of laughing.
Next week, we’re off to Bakersfield to visit my in-laws. My husband and father-in-law are heading to Montana for a competition, so the rest of us—my daughter, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, and I—will be hanging out and catching up with a few family friends.
All good things ahead, but I’m definitely starting to feel a little of that “Scary Sunday” energy as we roll into August with this “long Sunday night” feel. Ready or not, the new season is coming!
Leave a comment