1. Driving… Pretty much everywhere. Swim lessons, camp, church, errands, and more. I think I’ve put more miles on my car in the last month than in the previous four. (Hey — that kind of rhymes, and I didn’t even plan it that way!)

2. Sitting… Outside. L.(3) would spend every single second outside if he could. I do eventually force him to come inside for things like meals, baths, and sleeping, but we are spending a ton of time outdoors. I usually take a book with me, but I often end up just watching the kids play.

3. Watching… The Tour de France. I live in a “bicycle house.” And by “bicycle house,” I mean (in part) that an exceptional percentage of our garage is devoted to the care, repair, and storage of multiple bicycles and assorted bicycle gear. And that the hobby of choice around here (at least for the guys) is bike-riding. In a bicycle house, the month of July is devoted to watching the pinnacle of all cycling events, the Tour de France. Admittedly, I am not the most faithful Tour-watcher in this house (that honor goes to my husband, of course), but I catch my share of the coverage and am amazed at the incredible stamina and strength of the participants.

4. Trying…New recipes. I made this pork barbecue over the weekend and it was a big hit with both C. (10) and my husband. C. was actually excited to hear that we’d be having leftovers last night. The fact that it’s a crockpot recipe? Bonus for me, since it took almost no hands-on time at all.

5. Observing…The rabbits in our yard. We started with two little wild bunnies who liked to munch the wild clover that threatens to overtake the grass. But in the last month, it seems that they’ve been multiplying like…well…rabbits. I think we’re on the third generation of bunnies, and I’m contemplating a formal naming of our property: Watership Down.

6. Feeling nostalgic…As I watch L. leaving toddlerhood. I didn’t know that Saturday night would be the last night I’d lift him over the rail of his crib when I tucked him in. Yes, we’d been talking for months about converting his crib to a toddler bed, but yesterday, Chad just suddenly did it. L. was thrilled and jumped into bed gleefully at bedtime. While I loved seeing his happiness, I was struck by the fact that he’s really and truly growing up. So many little changes have taken place this summer that add up to the fact that he’s no longer a toddler. He is, as he would tell you, “a big boy,” and it’s tugging at this mom’s heart.

7. Rejoicing…That potty-training is, in large part, complete. I haven’t blogged much about the potty-training process with L. — in part, because I didn’t want to bore you to tears with my obsessions over every little step forward and backward; and in part, because I was afraid if I proclaimed any kind of success, I would immediately jinx it, resulting in an abundance of accidents. But at this point, nearly two months after we started, I think I can safely say that the majority of the work is done. And it is OH-so-nice to no longer have my life completely revolve around the bodily functions of a 3-year-old.

8. Enjoying...An occasional breakfast at Panera with my kids. I stocked up on some Panera gift cards at the end of the school year, intending to take the kids out for bagels every now and then. Though we’ve only managed to go a few times so far, each outing has been delightful.

There’s more, of course, that we’ve been doing, but those are a few things that came to mind as I sat down to write this post. This summer seems to be flying by, every week more quickly than the last.