So…. it’s the time of year again. Adam is burning the Leaves candle from Bath & Body Works, and there is a definite bite in the air. Fall is coming and will officially be here in just over a week.

I do love autumn, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to mourn the end of summer. I will miss the hot temperatures, the sun, wearing all the cute shorts and tank tops and sandals. Now it’s time for boots, sweaters, jeans, browns, golds, and reds.

Here’s a quick(ish) wrap up of our summer. Just that little last hurrah before I have to dig out the heavy stuff.

I spent the first part of my summer working way too much. I was working so many hours that everyone was commenting on it. Adam told me that I didn’t have to work so much, and Aidan kept saying, “Mom, all you do is work. You said you’d play with me.” That did it. I made some changes so I could spend more time with Aidan.

You all know we kicked off summer break with Disney World, but did you know we also made a few day trips? We went to zoo, we went to Six Flags Great America, and we went to the Iowa State Fair!

The Lincoln Park zoo was fun. We don’t go there often enough which is a shame, because it’s free! And giraffes live there! We saw really cool animals and exhibits. I didn’t get to hold any snakes or anything, but I still had fun.

We went to Six Flags Great America, where I FINALLY got to meet my friends S.Abdul and his wife Brenda! I’ve known them for years online (seems to be a recurring story with me, huh?) and he’s such a huge coaster buff. I knew he’d lead me well at Six Flags. Because I am more familiar with Cedar Point, he explained all the rides to me in Cedar Point terms. “There’s a Troika over there!”

We went on a Saturday in July, so I knew I’d have to be picky about which coasters I rode, because otherwise I’d be standing in line all day. I really wanted to ride X-Flight and Superman, and I got to ride them both, and with Batman as a bonus!

The best part was Aidan’s growing bravery. He was interested in most of the thrill rides–at least, the spinny rides–and I had a blast riding them with him. I was so excited to finally have a spinny ride partner again!

That is… until we went to the Iowa State Fair.

I was ready, with Aidan, to RIDE ALL THE THINGS. Unfortunately, I got sick when I got off of ride #3, which has never happened to me before. I mean, OK, the ride that did me in was the Tornado, and it nearly did me in a few years ago at the Ohio State Fair. This time, it won, to my great embarrassment. So I was “off” for the rest of the day, but I didn’t let that stop me. I’d paid $25 for the wristband so I was determined to get my money’s worth! I even rode the Gravitron, a ride I’d been wanting to try for years and no one would ever ride it with me or wait for me to ride it.

I rode it by myself at first, then I came off and told Adam and Aidan that it was the COOLEST THING EVER, so they rode it with me. So that was twice for me, then I was done. Adam and Aidan rode again, and then we were done with rides.

We had fun anyway. I didn’t eat much. We saw some animals, saw some art, some some miniatures and dollhouses that were awesome. Adam ate all the fried things. We saw some of Adam’s friends. It was a good time. Unfortunately, I was still dizzy and a bit queasy for a few days. But do I regret it? NOPE. Well, maybe riding the Tornado. NEVER RIDING THAT ONE AGAIN.

…more iowa state fair

My cousin Falandos came to visit for a weekend, and that was so much fun! Sadly, I hadn’t realized I wasn’t fully recovered from Iowa, so I ate something bad for me and got sick again. BOOO. So Falandos has to come back so we can hang out without me feeling icky.

We got to see s00j sing and have her and Ryan stay a night–that is always THE VERY BEST. So much love for those two. Truly.

I went on my third ever camping trip–but this was my first time actually staying in a tent. I went to the Sukhava Bodhe Yoga & Music Festival. My friend Reshma and I, both of us having no clue what we were doing, managed to survive a night in a tent. I had to have help pitching the tent (a loaner from my friends Missy and Rory), but now that I’ve seen it done, I’m confident I could pitch it again easily. Reshma brought an air mattress. We had bug spray, flashlights, all the stuff one needs when camping at a festival.

Now, let me tell you something about me. I love nature, but I really love my luxuries. That means running water, a bed, a hot shower, and lights to read by. So imagine my surprise that I ENJOYED CAMPING. Even when we were hit with massive thunderstorms, I felt awesome because I’d fixed the rain cover so we didn’t flood! And we had the great idea to hang the lantern from the hook at the top of the tent using my doo-rag, so we had decent light. And Reshma, our friend Amy (whose tent flooded so we had her come in with us) and I had the best night, listening to the music on the main stage, and talking. At about one in the morning, I had to pee, and I was irritated by that. I had just gotten comfy and my bladder HAD to talk.

But when I finally got my flashlight and stepped outside, I WAS SO GLAD. The stars had come out and the night sky was BREATHTAKING. I actually woke Reshma and Amy up so they could see it. Reshma kinda grumbled and rolled back over, but Amy peeked out and gasped like I did. I was so glad… because I thought I’d miss the stars because of the storms.

Anyway, we did well, considering it was our first time. And because it was a festival at a retreat center, there were hot showers (that smelled like pennies), and there were vendors selling hot food. I had the most yummy grilled cheese.

…more sukhava bodhe

Some of the new things I did this summer:

– got sick on a ride (boo)
– got henna (twice)
– slept in a tent
– rode the gravitron
– attended a lunasaugh ritual
– been a background actor in not only one, but two movies (one a major motion picture)
– costume fitting for major motion picture
– met some amazing authors
– jury duty

…Just to name a few! So, all in all, it was a great summer. The only bad thing about it was that it was too short. And flies. Flies suck.

Here’s hoping for a mild autumn!