Well, it’s the first Friday of the month, which means it’s time to join Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date! In spite of the record high temperatures here, I always drink hot earl grey tea in the morning. Grab a mug and let’s get started!
The 4th of July has come and gone, and that makes me sad because it means that summer is half over. July 4th always feels like the midpoint, and my daughter’s school vacation is more than halfway done- they start school on August 10th. I don’t want the summer to end!
In all the craziness of life, this summer has been a brief respite- my daughter hasn’t started high school yet, and my son has spent the whole summer at home. Once school starts, time will start rushing by. My daughter will be incredibly busy with high school activities, and my son will be living at school again, coming home to visit on the holidays. It’s very possible- probable- that I won’t have both kids home again for such an extended period, and it makes me sad.
However! Yesterday, July 5th, I got this text from my sister:
YES! July 5th is when the crazy people (i.e., us) start thinking about the fall holidays. It won’t be long before we start seeing Halloween ads! How exciting.
In other news, my daughter finally got her septum piercing. I resisted it, then put it off, hoping she would forget, but she DID NOT FORGET, and we finally did it. I think if you like piercings in that area, it looks… sort of… cute. I’ve realized that I have to change my perspective about things, otherwise I’ll turn into one of those crotchety old people talking about how we did things in “my day” and muttering about “kids today.”
So, bring on the piercings and turquoise hair (that’s coming up in a few weeks.) Why the hell not???
Lastly, if we were having coffee (tea) together, I would tell you that Engie is hosting a book club on her blog:
This post explains the format, but we’ll be reading five chapters a week. The first “meeting” is July 10th, where Engie will post a brief summary of chapters 1-5 and some questions to get us started. We will discuss in the comments- I can’t wait! It’s not too late to join- grab your book and get reading!
Have you read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? – I read it as a teenager and am looking forward to reading it again.
Do you feel like the summer is half over after July 4th?
45 Responses
Noooooo it’s not half over it’s just half beginning. School starts on Aug 17th here so yes you’re right it’s coming.
I read ATGIB in late high school or early college for the first time and I know I’ve reread it a few times but I can’t remember when. I was definitely due for a reread. I’m limiting myself to one chapter a day/5 chapters a week which is taking a bit of discipline. It is oh so good. I’ve never been in a book club and never wanted to be in one but the second Engie came up with the idea and I was like I AM SO IN.
I’ve never been in a book club either! I haven’t started reading yet (because I’m in the middle of another book) but I checked, and the chapters are short. It might be kind of hard to stop after just 5! I will also limit myself.
Why the hell not indeed! Hair and piercings are changeable for sure. I wondered if she had gotten it, and the great thing about the septum piercing is that it won’t leave a mark if she decides she doesn’t want it anymore. And as for turquoise hair, not my cup of tea personally, but who am I to talk? My hair is as fakely coloured as can be. Of all things to change, hair colour is the easiest one.
Boy, she goes back to school so early! August is summer to me. Our kids don’t start until September, and if it’s before the Labour Day weekend, it seems early. Of course, I don’t have kids in the public system and I’m not sure when my son starts university. He moves into dorms at the end of August, so I assume beginning of September.
I’ll be participating in the book club, although I might miss a couple of posts because the move is in 11 days!!!
Well, I think the book club posts are every Monday, so you can always go back and get caught up if you miss one.
I’m a little scared of the turquoise hair, but then I was scared of the red hair and I ended up liking it… we’ll see.
I’m glad you’re having a good summer. LOL on planning for Halloween and Christmas, though.
You’re a good Mom to try to adjust to the new piercing — sometimes we need our kids to drag us into the current world.
That book club sounds really interesting. I don’t think I’ve read the book, but I’ve seen the movie many times.
Yes, that’s a good way of putting it. I shudder to think how sheltered and old-fashioned I would be if not for my kids!
I can’t believe 4th of July has come and gone already. We went to school late this year so July came rather quick for me…lol. We don’t go back till September 5 so I hope I can enjoy many summer adventures until then!
Oh, for you school starts after Labor Day- that was the way we did it when I was a kid. It makes more sense. I’m not sure why schools start so early now.
I have come to treasure the time that I get to spend with both kids together especially if we are all at home together. Now that mine are “adults” that does not happen too often anymore sadly. Enjoy the rest of your summer !
Thank you Deborah! I’m definitely going to enjoy the time we have left.
My youngest has a nose piercing (very small) and he just got another tattoo. Keeps things interesting, I guess…
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of my favorite books growing up. I read it so many times that I wore out the binding. I should revisit it! Enjoy!!
I’m looking forward to reading it again- I remember loving it when I read it as a teenager.
My son has no piercings or tattoos- my daughter constantly berates him for being so “boring.”
Summer really is slipping by so fast! School starts in mid-August for us, so we’re closing in on the last full month of summer break. Wah!
I love that you relaxed on the septum piercing. A non-permanent way to express herself sounds excellent in my book! And yay for the turquoise hair! My daughter has been begging for turquoise hair lately and I have been resisting simply because I don’t want to dye her hair at such a young age. But maybe in a few years I will relax on that, too. It’s such a fun and easy (and non-permanent!) change. Will your daughter allow you to post a photo of the hair when it’s colored?
Looking forward to the ATGIB group read!
I’ll probably post a photo of her turquoise hair with her face blurred out, which is what I did when she dyed it bright red. Yes, it’s all non-permanent. Even that bright red dye was semi-permanent, which means it’s been slowly washing out. Now it’s pretty faded- just in time for the new color. Btw coloring the hair is a messy process, and if Carla has dark hair, you have to bleach it first. I begged my daughter to get it done professionally, but she insisted on doing it herself. I feel like we just got the red dye off the sink- soon it will be turquiose.
No no. Summer is just beginning.
I always drink hot coffee even in the summer.
I’m not a fan of piercings or crazy hair colors. But there are worse things. Drug alcohol tattoos.
And i think about Halloween in October. Lol
Ha ha- I like how you put tattoos in the same category as drugs and alcohol. But yes- in the big scheme of things, a septum piercing is not a big deal.
Well you know from my comment on this in an earlier post! The 4th FEELS like the midway point because that was the midway point when I was a child but now it is NOT the midway point since my kids will get out mid-June and start school in September. So if Paul was already in school/had finished school in June, the midway point is mid/late July for us – July 20th to be exact. Before this, we were not subject to the school schedule and it can be nice/warm through mid/late September so we tried to think more about when fall officially starts as the end of summer. Our summers are so short so we really need to hold onto the summer vibes as long as we like. But a lot of things close Labor Day weekend so that is the true end of summer in terms seasonally.
The only piercing I have is my ears and I wish I had never pierced them but no one could have talked me out of it! It is very hard to find earrings that don’t bother my ears and I am just not a jewelry person. So I am a hard pass on piercings in general but have become more open minded about piercings on others. Similar, I am a hard pass on tattoos!
I’m planning to read ATGIB but I have not started so I need to get my butt in gear.
I’m a very rare (or, strange?) person who never go their ears pierced! I don’t like the thought of needles piercing my skin for any reason. Maybe this is a dumb question- could you just stop wearing earrings and let your holes close up?
It seems like the holes won’t close. I haven’t worn earrings since my wedding I think and yet the holes are there! If they would close up that would be amazing!!
I do my best to try to be in the present — even when I don’t want to be, LOL! So no, not thinking about the holidays at all. I will admit to wishing our weather had been better lately. It’s been hard, for me, anyway, to enjoy my time outside. Boo.
I am glad my dogs don’t ask for piercings. That’s all I’m gonna say on that (other than obviously you are a great mom).
Ha ha, thanks Judy! Yes, dogs don’t ask for piercings- that’s one reason why they’re such great companions.
I’m already humming Christmas music, so I HEAR YOU JENNY!!! I’m not a fan of Halloween, but I honestly start thinking about Christmas in July every year. I do love the holidays…
I read ATGIB once about 15 years ago. I loved it then, but I’m feeling a bit wary after my experience with re-reading some classics I loved as a teen. So far, I’m about 6 chapters in and loving it again…but it is already touching on some hard things which I know I wouldn’t have been nearly as attuned to as a “kid.”
I’m not a big fan of dyed hair or extra (non-ear) piercings, but agree with everyone that it is a preference and SO easy to change/remove!! For what it’s worth, I love tourquoise (and she did a great job with the hair cut/red colouring).
My kids haven’t even been out of a school a full week yet, so it’s bizarre to think about students in the US going back in a month!
I know- I keep thinking how you’re just starting your summer! It really makes more sense your way, since summer technically just started on June 21st and won’t end until September.
I haven’t started ATGIB yet (but I’ll get those chapters read before Monday!) I’m sure the things you’re noticing will be discussed in Engie’s comments.
July has always been a cathartic month for us… two birthdays & Independence Day as well. Once we hit the 4th, it always seemed full speed ahead to the start of the new school year. ((Sigh)) The two daughters both went through stages of “piercings,” and I stepped back & lightened-up a lot on my perspective on that (after gentle advising them on the safety, etc). Just wait until the tattoos start appearing, LOL
Noooooo!! Luckily right now my daughter doesn’t want tattoos. We’ll see what happens with that. I’ve been employing gentle nagging, i.e. “Did you spray your nose today?” (you clean the septum piercing with saline spray.) Even as I’m saying it I think how weird it sounds.
Yay! Thanks for linking to the book club. I am so excited to get started! (Boy, Johnny Nolan is even more useless than I remember!)
Because my husband doesn’t go back to school until after Labor Day in September, I still feel like we’re on the first half of summer. Please do not make me question my belief in this! The summer solstice JUST happened!
Okay, I won’t question you! Growing up, we always went back to school after Labor Day. My sister’s birthday is August 3rd and I always felt like that was more the halfway point of summer back then. It’s all in your perspective!
OMG A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! I believe I read it in middle school! What a blast from the past.
Yes I fell like it’s all “downhill” now as we spiral toward fall. Schools go back way too early. I’m trying my best to be present and soak up every single summer day and that means I will not think about fall or pumpkin spice or Christmas until much later. Haha!
My daughter is planning on getting a helix piercing as soon as she turns 18 in a couple of weeks.
I had to look up “helix piercing” and it’s probably a good thing you mentioned it- i’m sure my daughter will want one soon.
Summer has always been my favorite season (even though it’s been 110+ degrees for the past week and will continue to be just as hot for at least another week) and my birthday is in late July so I always feel like once that’s over, then summer is winding down.
But I work for a school district and we start August 3 so summer break for the teachers and kids is more than half over, and I know some districts here in AZ even start in late July, which seems crazy early! And I know it basically feels like summer here through October so it’s hard for me to even think about the holidays when it’s so hot.
I got my ears pierced when I was 11 but only had them for about 6 months before one got infected and I had to go to the doctor to get it removed. That kind of icked me out on piercings and I haven’t been tempted to get them repierced even though I think earrings look pretty!
Honestly, it makes me kind of queasy to think about putting things through holes pierced in my body (and the septum is especially queasy-making, for me.) But hey- to each his own.
AUGUST 3rd??? Is that when school actually starts or just when the teachers go back? It’s so early!!! And yes- it will feel like summer here through October as well. Once pumpkin season rolls around I just pretend it’s fall.
My kid informed me that they are planning to shave their head when they return to college.🤷♀️
We’ve been really enjoying traveling this summer as a family. I expect it will be the last one where both kids are home all summer and available to do things. It’s weird to feel like we’ve reached this point.
Well, look at it this way- maybe their hair will grow out again by the time you see them again!
My kid informed me that they are planning to shave their head when they return to college.🤷♀️
We’ve been really enjoying traveling this summer as a family. I expect it will be the last one where both kids are home all summer and available to do things. It’s weird to feel like we’ve reached this point.
I feel like the summer is over over lol. A starts band camp next week and then we are done with fun times. it’s crazy.
A is super conservative so he would never get his septum pierced, but I would support it if he wanted to. Heck, I want mine pierced. I see it as temporary, if she so chooses. If she gets bored of it, it can close.
Yes, that’s one of the ways she convinced me to let her do it. If she changes her mind at some point, she can take it out and you won’t see it at all.
I feel like summer’s just beginning… haha, but then again, I don’t have kids/school by which to measure the seasons.
Septum piercing and turquoise hair. If that’s the extent of teenage behavior, I am so fine with it 🙂
I am joining for the ATGIB book club. So fun!
Summer needs to slow down. I am not ready for Halloween though I love Fall. I’ve never heard of that book.
Yes, I’m sure you (and all teachers everywhere) are wishing summer would last a long, long time.
Turquoise hair! I want to join your daughter in that, hahaha. One of my best friends died the bottom half of her hair pink (she’s in her late 30s!) and she has this long, thick hair so she looks like a mermaid. I have been thinking about doing a turquoise color to the bottom half of my hair once I get it to the brown color I want it to be. But we’ll see! I love that you are letting her express herself in this way! Hopefully this is the extent of her expression for now. 😉
I’m so excited to reread ATGIB! I only read it for the first time in 2018 but loved it so much, so I’m looking forward to the reread.
i’ll be posting photos (minus her face) when the hair is turquoise! Maybe it will inspire you.
hahaha, I love your mindset! I had to wait until I was 18 to sneak off to a piercing studio just to pierce my earlobes + hide my ears with my hair until I went off to college!
I still haven’t ever read that book but I’ve definitely heard of it! I’ve been not-so-good about reading lately, but planning to pick that back up again soon!
Ha, that’s funny. Your parents must have been strict! I tried to argue against the septum piercing, but in the end it wasn’t worth it.
It’s interesting – as a non-parent, I never realized just how special it is to parents to have their kid(s) at home. I am seeing so many moms whose blogs I read post about this over the summer. Maybe I’m paying more attention? Or maybe it’s just the stage of life I – and most of the bloggers I read – am in? whatever the reason, I never quite appreciated why my parents may be so keen to have me (a very adult child, certainly not a student! :>) visit until I read your post and those of other moms. 🙂
Yes! Go visit your parents as often as possible! I promise you, they’ll love it.