Packing for Summer in Charleston

For as long as I can remember, my favorite thing about going on trips was the packing.  Sure, the sights, experiences, and uncharted territory were all well and good.  But, what 7-year-old-me really enjoyed was the packing.  

Starting at a minimum of 2 weeks in advance of departure, I would open up my suitcase(s) and start piling in the essentials for a 10-day trip to Dallas:  2 pairs of underwear, a rainbow of Duckhead shorts, my entire Multiples wardrobe, and approximately 37 Cabbage Patch Kids + their birth certificates.

Fast-forward 30+ years, and I've made surprisingly little progress in the way of packing smart and light.  Despite the HOURS of pinning packing lists and reading blog posts about how to pack for 6-months and 3 continents in a clutch purse, I still pack for the persona I imagine adopting when I get to where I'm going.  Like, of COURSE Julie-in-the-Big-Apple needs spike heels and leather pants when she travels with her 3 little kids and entire extended family. 

Duh.  

And Old-South-Charleston-Julie?  She'll be strolling the Battery in gingham sundresses and precious sandals, coolly dabbing at the healthy "glow" she's developed while perusing the historic sections of the city and instructing her attentive and similarly-attired children in Civil War history.

Don't get me wrong, summer packing has a lot going for it: lighter clothes take up less space, no socks or giant boots required.

However, there is a major downside of summer travel in the South: sweat.  Now, as unladylike as it may be to discuss it, the fact remains that I sweat. 

A lot.  At the first degree over 70.  

I may be unique in this condition, but I suspect otherwise.  So, for all you fashion bloggers with your "momiforms" of a cute blouse, mules, and jeans (JEANS?! in the summer?!) and those who throw shade at us moms who do our kid-wrangling clad in workout clothes, you can just can it.  

I have a few words for you: humidity, chub-rub, and chafing.

First-night fail.  

It was still 85 degrees and 10000% humidity at 9pm, and we walked several miles around the city.

Ok, let me just climb off that soap box.

Anyhoo, I really thought I did a good job packing this time. I only packed stuff I actually like and am comfortable wearing, I stuck with items that could be mixed and matched together, and I only packed 4 pairs of shoes.  

And yet, I was not prepared for the amount of sweating I would be doing. 

Twinning!

Apparently, after 10 years in Nashville, I’ve forgotten everything I learned about true humidity from my time in South Florida.

Honestly, I wore the same thing every day during the day: running shorts, sports bra, tank top, and Tevas.  One night I got real fancy and put on a pool coverup for dinner out.  See below.⇓

There are several morals to this story, beyond the fact that I am apparently a REALLY slow learner. 

Lesson 1: Just pack workout gear and bathing suits for summer travel in the Deep South.

Lesson 2: Lower your expectations for how cute and Instagrammable your photos will be. 

Lower.

Lower.

A little lower.

There.

Currently: Me vs. Kids

Currently: June

Since I kind of leapt back into this blog-thing without looking first, I didn't have a plan past the first post. Duh. As if.  So, I thought I might get onboard with this "currently" theme to give you a snapshot of what we've been doing since school let out.  So, I thought I'd compare what I've been doing to what the kids have been doing, using the same 5 categories.  

Me first:

Traveling

Nowhere yet, but we have a trip to Charleston planned soon.

Grilling

My husband about EXACTLY WHEN HE'S COMING HOME AFTER WORK.  

Isn't he a lucky guy?

Exploring

Our own city!  We went to the symphony play at Centennial Park last week.  This week, we hit up the State Capitol, Bicentennial Mall, farmers' market, Belle Meade Plantation, Shelby Bottoms Park, and the main library downtown.

Planting

The idea of a treehouse for the kids in Mike's and my dad's brains.  Really, all we need is some sort of dilapidated structure that Will and Sarah can go out and tinker on so they will 

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.  

But not out of the yard, because then littlest brother will follow and I will have to go too.

Playing

 In the pool.  Errday.

Alright, let's see what the children have been up to, shall we?  

I'm sure they've been writing poetry in Spanish and composing sonatas.

Kids

Traveling

Miss FancyPants got to travel to Boston with my parents for a 10th-birthday trip.  

The Freedom Trail Pizza Tour alone was enough 

to make me seriously consider stowing away in her duffel.  

Meanwhile, the boys pretty much just get dragged to the grocery store 4 times a day.

Grilling

Mom about whether she REALLY WATCHED 👀 

the super-awesome trick (in the pool, trampoline, creek, Fortnite, etc.) they just did.  

And did I film it for their imaginary YouTube channel?

Exploring

Ways to fight violently with siblings without drawing blood and/or parental attention.

Planting

A time-capsule in the backyard so that "somebody can find it in, like,

 30 years and dig it up and be rich!"

Playing

Catch at the pool.

Re-entry

Summer.  It seems all the world is soliloquizing about "sweet summertime", 

warm weather, pool time, fireflies, and a slower pace.  

I, on the other hand, think: non-stop sweating, feeding kids all day, every day, and basically being their social coordinator. 

Meanwhile, I'm over here making a "Summer Bucket List" because I think this summer might actually kill me.  Like, I know that you can't ACTUALLY be talked to death, but my kids are all, "Challenge accepted."  

Plus, the dang sun doesn't set until the middle of the night, so my 8:30 bedtime is no more.  

Memorial Day weekend, I bought 3 HUGE bags of those zipsicles and a zoo membership, and thought, "Summer is handled."  

My kids apparently feel otherwise.

There's definitely a period of adjustment for me to shift from Working Mom Mode to SAHM mode every summer.  So, I have to get my head on straight, and embrace these 8ish weeks of being home with my kids as a fleeting gift. But I need an outlet and a goal for my efforts.

And so, I return to the family blog after a three-year hiatus, super-rusty. 

Since the kids are bigger (and literate) this time around, they will even be able to contribute! Sarah's running point on book recommendations, Will is going to do some design work, and Teddy is working on snack reviews, kid-dinners, and the best places to get wet and/or muddy. 

So, cheers to the summer!