Episode 29: The Vacation Edition

Howdy, friends … how’s everyone doing?

By now most of you are probably fully into summer, or only have a week or so left of school for the kiddos. We are on week three of our summer break, and it’s been great! The girls have done camps with Pedalheads, the Denver Zoo, the Butterfly Pavilion (my youngest), and Majestic View Nature Center (my two oldest).

We’ve had playdates and watched “The Princess Bride” at Red Rocks and built foosball tables with our friends out of cardboard boxes for free at the library and had popsicles on our elementary school playground with classmates. Now, we’re headed into vacation mode. We fly out tomorrow and will be gone for two weeks in New York and Maine (and I will, therefore, be away from this newsletter). Then, the girls head straight to Australia from there with their dad.

That gives me TWO WHOLE WEEKS by myself. Never in my mom life could I have imagined.

I’ve got a couple trips planned, some work stuff, and a dumpster that will be in our driveway because of some house stuff we’re having done. I plan to make good use of that dumpster while children aren’t here to tell me that an item they have not played with in five years is the most important thing they’ve ever owned.

Before all of that, though, I really wanted to take a moment to thank you guys for being here. This humble little newsletter has grown steadily over the past eight months, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I hope you guys have the most wonderful two weeks, and I’ll see you back here after July 4th!

I did a lunch and learn with Lingokids — an ad-free entertainment/educational app for kids that was designed by educators — yesterday, and I’m so excited to try out their free trial while we’re traveling!

Taylor — the illustrator of both my second and third children’s books — sent copies of “The Party in the Old Brown Barn” and “Grace Retraces Her Day” to Reading Rainbow for their book drive. My heart is so happy.

Ruby and her dad — the two main characters in my third book, “Purple Potatoes Will Turn You into a Witch!” — would like to wish any of you who celebrate Father’s Day a very happy one.

Taylor & I are probably right now as you read this at the Little Blue Pigeon, a gorgeous new bookstore on Larimer Street in Denver, for a story time and book signing!

I’ll be back in July for an update on the rest of our summer events! Until then, please enjoy these …

1. Last-minute Father’s Day gift ideas.

2. How to Tell Your Kid is Ready to Sleep Away From You.

3. 3 Things I Learned From Interviewing a Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Journalist.

Bis bald, friends! And don’t forget to check out my travel site — Weary Wanderer — if you’re still shopping around for family friendly summer travel ideas!