Reflections of Summer 2014 #KinderMom
How do you capture a summer? Is it a series of snapshots on an iPhone? An entire deck of tiny Instax mini photo cards tucked into the border of a child’s bedroom vanity mirror, with bright red hearts and flowers, decorating the names scrawled on the border?
How do you measure July and August? Is it the inches your children grow when they are free to imagine, run, travel, swim and draw without limitation of time or bells? Is it the height of the green grass on your front lawn, the length of the ivy trailing down the side of the house? The hundreds of bike rides? The yawning afternoons spent watching friends perfect backflips and cannonballs? Drives to the cottage?
Summer is the shortest season ever for a Mom. Especially when you realize you only have about 18 of them together before the kids launch their own lives away from home. This summer was a busy one, but it was also brilliant and memorable. I think the summer is my favourite season because it feels like the pieces of my heart all come together shaping home.
The summer of 2014 started with a bang here _ a heat wave and a beautiful opportunity to share a press trip to Puerto Vallarta with my older daughter Payton. I shared some of that experience here in several posts about family travel to Puerto Vallarta. Then school wound down to a slow close and it was pool party time.
Way back in January when I learned Katy Perry was touring Ottawa and Toronto, I set out to get the three Schuck girls a set of tickets for the summer concert. And I succeeded. Then I tacked on a train trip for the week through Montreal with a pit stop to see the concert. It was the best concert I have ever seen. No shock there for anyone who knows Katy Perry is a true performer. But more than that it was a chance to show my kids Montreal for the first time. They loved the arts and culture and we spent some time cultivating their French language skills. It made me proud to watch them flourish.
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| Kindersmiles app is a smile Photo Booth of sorts on the Kinder Facebook page. |
There as a week at camp (them) and a conference in California (for me) and then a big beautiful week at one cottage that then unfolded into another four days spent at Wasaga Beach. The last two weeks of August pulled us back home to London. So many friends and pool parties and sleepovers and visits with cousins and the days trail off into a Back to School countdown. It is no secret I am a summer girl. Always have been and I always will be. Summer is my sweet spot, where I am warm and happy and my children are all close enough to hug at any given hour.
The last four years I have enjoyed being a Kindermom and sharing some of the great KinderSurprise initiatives with my readers. I talked about raising unique children. I wrote about using KinderSurprise treats to help make friends. This post is my last with Kinder Canada. This one here was one of my first Kinder Canada posts in 2011. I have enjoyed all the scrumptious chocolate treats and I loved sharing them with my kids’ schools and friends and family members. I love that most Kinder products are peanut free and I support their philosophy of play. I still have dozens of great toys from our time working as a KinderMom ambassador.
Capture some of your own memories and share them by visiting Kinder Canada Facebook page. Start your own photo-strip.
Kinder® Canada’s Facebook Page – has a fun and interactive way for parents to capture and share moments of joy in a playful way. Once you’re a KINDER® Fan, it’s just a fewsimple steps:
Step 1: Fan KINDER® on Facebook
Step 2: Start your photo-strip
Step 3: Upload your photos
Step 4: Choose a fancy KINDER® frame
Step 5: Choose a filter (make yourself looksilly)
Step 6: Save & share
Add #kindersmiles to any photo-strip and youcan see your smile in the app’s gallery view.
Disclosure: I’m part of theKinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own. Thanks to Kinder Canada for a great few years together. My kids and I have enjoyed the chance to play together.
17 Comments
Masshole Mommy
I am so bummed that summer is over. We had an extra short summer this year thanks to some snow days tacked on to the end of last year.
Kelli Avery
Sounds like you have had an amazing time as a Kindermom and your summer sounds like it was a blast as well. The time I spend with my kids is my absolute best moments of my life!
Celebrity VIP Lounge
We saw Katy Perry too this summer. It was such a quick summer. Amber N
Lois Alter Mark
What a fun summer! It definitely went too fast – as always. Bet your daughters will always remember going to see Katy Perry with you. Love her!
becca
I’m so sad summer is over I miss having my son home all day just to talk to.
Annemarie Leblanc
It’s amazing how fast the summer has gone by, I’m going to miss it for sure!
CONNIE CHUHA
It makes me sad that summer is over. I love fall but I still don’t want summer to end. Just a short while and we’ll be seeing the white stuff. blah
Heather @ Girl Gone Mom
We just spent the last day at the pool for the summer. It was sad, but we created a ton of fun memories.
April @ 100lb Countdown
School’s in session, but the grill is going on here. I am looking forward to stretching the summer out as far as I can.
Alexandra Young
it is crazy how fast this summer flew by! It went faster than any summer has for me. It sounds like you have a nice summer!
mail4rosey
Oh that stung, lol, reading that there’s only 18 summers w/the kids and then they’re grown. You’re right though, and that time doesn’t go by slowly.
Melissa
it looks & sounds like you had an amazing summer with your daughter. I need to make one of those photo-strips to share with my kids.
Ann B
Sounds like you had a fantastic summer, I am so glad that we got to spend some time together at the conference, Hard to believe the kids are back at school tomorrow.
Margarita Ibbott
I loved all your KinderMom posts. So sad that they are coming to an end. Thanks for the photo strips info!
The Chef's Wife | Anne @TheSatEvePot
Kinder sounds like a wonderful company with great products for families! I hate to see the laid back days of summer leave but on the flip side I am ready for some fall weather.
Aisha Kristine Chong
Too bad we didn’t – but it would be nice to see her, haha!
Amanda McMahon
Summer can be exciting And draining at the same time. Perspective and chocolate makes an impact.