Yes, I know it’s only July 21st, but around here, that means we only have about five weeks left until school starts. (Don’t tell my older son, C. — he prefers to have no reminders about how quickly summer is flying by.)

And though we’ve done lots of fun stuff already this summer — from an amusement park to Italian ice trips to bowling to bike-riding — there are still some things I’d like to do…a few more ways to enjoy this summer before it’s gone. Here are a few of them:

1. Catch fireflies. This is one of those summer activities that just slips my mind. Repeatedly. But one of these nights, I want to take the kids outside right as it’s getting dark, and catch as many as we can.

2. Finish the book I’m reading with C. We started a read-aloud at the beginning of this summer, revisiting a series that was one of my favorites when I was in middle school. But we I have not been very consistent with our reading. I’d love to finish this first book and move on to the second in the series. (More on which book/series this is at a later date!)

3. Create a very cool scavenger hunt for C. I recently read about a neat scavenger hunt idea, but it takes quite a bit of preparation, so I keep putting it off. But one of these days…before August 25th, I hope to have it ready to go. (I’ll fill you in more when I finally get it done!)

4. Read outside more often. It’s been pretty hot here, and once the temperature gets above 82 or so, I tend to cling to our nice, air-conditioned indoors (I know, I’m a wimp). But the day-time heat shouldn’t stop me from enjoying a book on the patio in the evening, or even in the morning, before it gets too hot. I need to stop thinking about it and just do it.

5. Make more popsicles.

6. Have a picnic with the boys. Pack a basket, drive to a quiet location, and enjoy a lovely meal outdoors.

7. Go somewhere new. A park or a farm market or a museum or even (for my dear husband) a historical landmark — but I want to go somewhere I’ve never been before.

8. Play a new boardgame. Okay, I’ll confess: C. and I played a game yesterday that we’d never played before. But there are more games in this house that remain unplayed, and I want to dig into them before the busyness of school makes it harder.

9. Cook something with my kids. Maybe all three of us together, or maybe cooking with them individually on different nights.

10. Make sure my kids have lots of opportunity to relax and create their own fun. To be honest, this summer has been far more busy than I would have liked. I’m hoping that the next month or so is more low-key: more time for reading and exploring, less time running around, more time at home, less in the car.

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What about you? Are there things you still want to do before September rolls around?