10 Things About Summer 2026

I've mentioned a few times that our summer was divided into three parts -- time in Ontario, time in Saskatchewan, and time back in Ontario. You can read about part 1 here and part 2 here. I was going to write a "Summer: Part 3" post but then I realized between my "What's Up Wednesday" post for August (read it here) and my "Friday Favourite Moments" from this past week (read it here), they basically summed up the remainder of our summer. So instead today, I am sharing 10 things about the Summer of 2026 that I will always remember!

1) Eating Outside I think I can count on one hand the number of meals I ate in our dining room; I basically ate on our deck the entire summer. I have dreamed about having a deck for quite a few years and we (I!!!) got so much use out of it this summer. I've had to eat a few meals inside this week, and frankly, it's been a shock to the system! Hahaha!

2) Sibling lunches Someone I follow on Instagram, Erin at Simple Purposeful Living, talked about how every week she sent her kids out to lunch without her. I thought that was a brilliant way to celebrate Sam having his license this summer so the kids ate a few lunches out. Any week where they were both at home, we gave them our car keys and our credit card and let them go for it. Yesterday, the kids started school with a half day beginning at noon and, while Dave and I were working, they went out for "sibling breakfast."

3) We were hardly home together this summer. The kids had a lot of separate adventures this summer. Sam spent four weeks at camp, Rachel flew to Saskatchewan early, Rachel had a week at camp and a week at her friend's cottage -- we had very few nights together at home. Our time in Saskatchewan was the longest all four of us were in one spot the entire summer.

 

Sam's camp experience

Rachel's adventures

The four of us together, in Ontario, for the first time in a month!  

4) The post renovation work continued. I unpacked all the boxes in Dave's office, I deep cleaned the laundry room, Dave put together shelves, Dave broke down many boxes for recycling, and we continued to donate things to the thrift store as we unpacked. There is one last room to tackle (my office) and pictures to hang on the walls, and then we will be done. Phew. I had no idea the post-renovation process would take so long. I don't think there was a single day all summer (when we weren't in Saskatchewan) that some sort of post-renovation work didn't happen.

 

 

 5) We listened to a lot of the Acquired podcast. I listened to the Coke one on my own, Dave listened to the Microsoft episode, we listened to Starbucks with Rachel, we listened to IKEA, Rachel listened to Disney. We learned a lot and shared all the interesting facts with each other. We talked about Acquired a lot this summer!

6) Side Quest Summer! We did a lot of "stay-cation" type things that we've always wanted to do -- drive in movie, sunset session for music, night market in uptown, brunch with goats. It was a lot of fun finding unique things to do in our own city. Rachel said it was a "side quest summer" where we did a lot of fun, random things!

7) Disc golf! We got back into disc golf this summer. We made time to play it about once a week starting in August and we now have a favourite course where we can go and quickly knock out a round. My arm doesn't even hurt after a round anymore so my "disc golf muscles" must be improving! Hahaha!

8) Reconnecting I reconnected with many friends I hadn't seen in awhile this summer. Since we had more time at home than we usually do, I made an effort to follow up on all those "we should get together sometime" conversations. And I am so glad I did. It was a summer of really good conversations for me.

9) We grew a lot of grass! The renovation wrecked parts of our back yard so we grew a bunch of grass in stages. There is one last piece to do and then we're done!

 

10) Board & Card Games We played more games than we have in a few years. We played at my parents house and we played with Tim & Janice. I am now motivated to pull out some of our games again. And maybe add a favourite or two from the summer to our shelf.

 

So those are 10 things I will remember about Summer 2026. And just to show summer is really over now, here are the "first day of school" photos for Sam (last one!) and Rachel.

When you think back on Summer 2026, what will stand out for you?

Friday Favourite Moments Week #35

Since August is over, I am back to just "regular" favourite moments from the week. These were my favourite moments this week.

1) Busker Festival

 

Rachel headed uptown with friends on Friday night so Dave and I decided to take check out the Busker Festival. We had a food truck supper and then we decided to stay for one act. These twins were here from Argentina and their act was so fun! I loved the various tricks they did with hats. For the finale, they were both blindfolded, one brother standing on the other's shoulders, and the top one was juggling knives. I often wonder, how do you get to this point? Were they just goofing off in the backyard one day and now they're doing this?!?!?!

 

2) Camp pickup

 

We picked Sam up from his last two weeks at camp. He was volunteering with day campers the last week and he got to stay in "a shack"! This was his spacious accommodation! I think he liked it. We stayed for the paddle ceremony where the camp honours counsellors who have worked at camp for five years. It was our first time to see it and it was so moving. Afterwards we enjoyed catching up with some of our favourite counsellors.

 

3) Jays' game with friends

 

We went to a Jays' game with good friends. We were so excited because our friends' son, who is 5, wanted to go to his first baseball game and they wanted to have it happen with us. I was remembering taking Sam and Rachel to their first game when they were four and six. It was the start of our Jays obsession! Hahaha! You can read that post here if you want a throwback :)

 

Back to this game though -- the Jays won, they hit a home run, and we had the best time!!! We can't wait to attend a game with these friends again next season.

 

4) Work perks

 

I'm mostly adjusted to being back at work and I've really enjoyed catching up with all my co-workers as they've returned from their summer breaks. I've been reminded how much I really do enjoy my co-workers and how great it is to see them all again! What hasn't been a favourite is having a bat in our school (at one point it was flying from the front entry, past the office, and down the gym hallway), but I'm super appreciative of my one co-worker who was brave enough to open doors to try and get it out. I was in the office and shrieked so loud they heard me on the third floor! Hahaha!

 

5) Cousin phone calls

There's been some family stuff I've been sorting out (nothing bad!), and some of the conversations have just been easier to have on the phone, rather than through text. I've gotten to talk to one of my cousins a couple of times this week and I've really loved those phone calls. This cousin and their family live across the country from us and we don't get to see them near often enough.

6) Sunsets from the cottage

 

Rachel is at the cottage with her bestie for a few days and she keeps sending us amazing sunset pictures. While I wish I could be there with her, getting these pictures from her are the next best thing! 

 

So those were some of my favourite moments from this past week. This weekend we have a three day weekend so I know a favourite moment will be getting a lot of stuff done at home! Whoo hoo!!!

Currently: September 2026

It's the first Wednesday of the month so it's time for "Currently" hosted by Amy at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa You can find Amy here. I've been back at work for about a week and a half but the kids don't start school until next week so we're in a bit of a mixed up couple of weeks where the kids are still on summer break but Dave and I are working.

[Adjusting (to)]

I'm "adjusting (to)" being back at work and having to wake up early again. I'm "adjusting (to)" having less time at home and being extremely tired when I am home. I'm "adjusting (to)" spending less time on our deck. Sadness.

I'm also "adjusting (to)" the kids doing their own laundry. This has been the biggest change in our house. Both kids independently said, "We want to do our own laundry now." Sam wants to dry his in the dryer, so it's softer (which is his impetus! Hahaha!!!) and Rachel still hangs hers up. I know it's probably a good thing for them to do their own laundry but I saw a video this morning about how you need to make time to do the things that bring you joy and one of the things which really brings me joy is hanging laundry. So having the kids do their own has been an adjustment for me.

[Baking/Cooking]

Other than the back to school muffins Rachel and I baked a couple of weeks ago, we haven't been "baking/cooking" much of anything around here. We never did grocery shop a few weeks ago and then this past weekend we were out of town. So Dave just went grocery shopping for the first time in about two weeks last night. I have had popcorn for dinner a few nights over the last week or so because I've been too tired to make/eat anything else. We will get back into a better cooking routine but it just hasn't happened yet. I think tonight's plan for dinner is frozen pizza as Dave is out of town for the day. All that is to say, it's a good thing Rachel and I baked when we did!

[Decorating]

While yesterday was September 1, it was also 38C (100F) with the humidex. The kids haven't started school yet so, between that and the weather, it really doesn't feel like fall. My favourite greenhouse opens for fall today so my mums will probably make an appearance soon. I did buy a seasonal towel and some pillows a couple of weeks ago so I did put those out last night.

 

I'm excited to have mums along our fence again this year after having to skip getting them last year, due to our renovation. This picture is from a few years ago.

[Balancing]

I am "balancing" upcoming, exciting transitions for people in my life with my own emotions about how things are changing. Over the next months and year, a few people close to me have big things happening which will effect my life. I'm super excited for the people who have the transitions happening but sad for me as to how things will change. There are a few things I can't talk about yet but Sam starting his final year of high school next week is definitely a big one!!!

 

His first day of school doesn't feel like it was all that long ago...

[Learning]

I am "learning" that the more I do this school start up thing at work the more I know what I'm doing and the less stressful it is. I was expecting to be so stressed at this point and I'm just not. My principal and I keep asking each other, "Are we missing something?" Our response is always, "Nah, we're just pros at this by now!" Don't get me wrong -- I'm still tired, but I'm not stressed. Whoo hooo!!!

So that's what's going on "currently" around here. Fall is coming. School is coming. More independence is coming. Better nutrition is coming (I hope!). But it's not quite here yet.

Savouring August (Friday Favourite Moments)

So as you know I've been trying to "savour August" as opposed to wishing it away or rushing through it to get to September. I have to be honest with you -- since going back to work on Monday, I've been way too tired to savour August. I thought I had found some low key ways to still be intentional about August but it turns out that anything that required any sort of energy whatsoever after 6pm was a no go for me this week. So I'm going to write about the few things I have done to enjoy August this week but it hasn't been every day.

1) Picking flowers and apples with a friend

Rachel, our friend, E, and I went to a farm where we could walk through the sunflower field, pick a bouquet of flowers, and pick apples. It was so much fun!!! And the flowers having been giving me a boost of joy while I've been so tired this week.

 

 

2) Food trucks and disc golf

On Friday night, Dave, Rachel, and I went to small town near us. We enjoyed a food trucks supper and then we laughed our way through a round of disc golf.

 

3) Muffin baking

On Saturday Rachel and I baked a ton of muffins (four different kinds) and I made some applesauce. It was a rainy day and we just enjoyed a few hours of being productive in the kitchen.

 

4) Brunch with goats

A farm near us does something called "bubbles 'n brunch" and after you get to visit with their goats. We went to check it out with Dave's parents. I had the mimosa flight and it was so good! And afterwards, it turns out I was the goat whisperer. They loved me!

5) Summer puzzle

 

On Sunday evening Rachel and I started a summery puzzle. And we finished it on Monday evening, after our long day of work meetings (for me) and volunteering at dance camp (for Rachel).

So that's what my week of trying to enjoy August has looked like -- a few big events, some smaller happenings, and recognizing that sometimes sleep takes priority! We have some fun plans for this weekend which will help us enjoy these last few days of summer break and I'm really looking forward to them! Happy Friday everyone!

What's Up Wednesday: August 2026

August is always a bit of whiplash around here as I start the month on summer break and end it by getting back to work. The kids are still on break though so it's a few weeks of juggling schedules. This year our schools start a bit later, due to Labour Day being really late, so I'm just heading off for my third day of work today. Sam is up at camp and Rachel is volunteering for dance camp this week. Did I mention it's a bit "what's going on now?" around here?!?! Anyways, on with 'what's up Wednesday.'

Answering these questions monthly helps me reflect on the past month and I really appreciate having a record of what we've been up to. The questions come from Shay at Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer at Sheaffer Told Me Too.

image from here; since I'm posting late, I can use the new graphic :)

 

What we're eating this week... Rachel and I spent a bunch of time this weekend baking muffins. I always like to do a blitz towards the end of August so we have easy breakfasts and snacks to get us through the first weeks of school. This year we made pumpkin cream cheese, lime, zucchini chocolate chip, and chocolate chip muffins.

It's also bean and tomato season with our CSA so I've made my bean salad recipe. I made it up and you just boil the beans, cool them off, and then add tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and avocado, if you have one on hand. This year I've also been adding fresh basil. I use balsamic vinagerette dressing and it's so good!

 

What I'm reminiscing about... In two weeks Sam starts Grade 12. I can't even believe it. It doesn't feel like all that long ago he was starting Junior Kindergarten. So I've been reminiscing about Sam's school career. It's gone by really fast.

 

 

What I'm loving... I've been looking for ways to not rush through August and soak up all the August fun. A few weeks ago, we were with Tim and Janice and they recommended we go play a quick round of disc golf. Dave and I had forgotten how much we enjoy disc golf, and how many courses there are around us, so we played again with Rachel this past Friday. She had so much fun, we're going to try and play again this weekend. We're not good at it but we laugh a lot!

 

 

What we've been up to... August was full of all the fun things!!! Sam and I started out the month in Saskatchewan.

Since coming home, we've seen two movies outdoors -- one on the side of a barn and one at a drive in.

We've enjoyed things in our city like the Night Market at the library and a surprise concert at sunset.

 

We've enjoyed playing games with Tim and Janice...

...and quiet moments in our back yard.

We enjoyed a flower farm and apple picking adventure with a friend...

,,,and a brunch with goats with Dave's parents.

Did I mention August has been full of fun?!?!?

What I'm dreading... Well I started back at work on Monday so I'm no longer dreading the end of summer break; I'm slowly easing back into work. So I don't know if I'm dreading anything right now. It's a nice place to be :)

What I'm working on... My August project was to deep clean our laundry room after the renovation. And I did it!!! Dave helped a lot too. It was slow going but our laundry room has never looked better!

This was after I'd been working for an hour. Absolutely everything had to be wiped down and every piece of floor had to be swept about three times.

  

Look how clean and fresh it looks now! We just need to figure out how to hide the pink walls as we can't paint them... That will be a future project!

What I'm excited about... I'm excited about having the kids put together IKEA furniture! We had to buy a few more things from IKEA in July and I got the kids to assemble it! Sam did a shelf for our music books and Rachel did a table for our reading nook.

I'm also excited to spend some cozy winter hours reading in this nook we've created in a corner of our bedroom. I really need to stack some books on that table now!!!

 

What I'm watching/reading... I've been watching some Blue Jays baseball (are they going to snag the last Wild Card spot?!?!?!?) and we watched Spider Man: Brand New Day at the drive in last week. Other than that, I haven't been watching much of anything.

 

As for reading, last week I read Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley (who I just figured out wrote The Guncle!!!) I loved Lily and the Octopus but I don't know who to recommend it to as it's going to be too heartbreaking for anyone who really loves dogs...

 

What I'm listening to... I didn't know what sounds defined August (maybe "quiet") but, as of yesterday, I know I'm going to be listening to a lot of Dolly Parton. I didn't realize how many of her songs reminded me of my childhood.

What I'm wearing... This week, I'm easing into wearing work clothes by wearing capris with fun t-shirts. Next week I'll be meeting with families so I'll have to step up my game a bit but this week it's more casual. Thankfully the weather has gotten cooler so I'm not missing my shorts too much.

 

What I'm doing this weekend... We're picking Sam up from his last stint at camp and then spending some time with friends. We'll probably try and play some disc golf and watch some baseball! Then we're sending Rachel off on one last summer adventure. It's going to be a full weekend.

 

What I'm looking forward to next month... We always hit the ground running in September and every weekend is booked! I'm looking forward to LUMEN, a festival of light and technology in our uptown. I'm looking forward to Gathering Sunday at church and the High Holidays at the synagogue. I'm looking forward to seeing what our fall routine looks like. September brings a lot to look forward too!

 

So that's what's up with us this last Wednesday in August -- a lot of summer fun and some hints of fall. I hope you have a good Wednesday and listen to a classic Dolly song today. For me, it's going to be "9 to 5" in honour of heading back to work this week :)