That Summer (Routine) Feeling

Still transitioning into some kind of summer schedule here, feeling a little bit afloat, but it's getting better. I'm writing a new book, so work time for me has to be part of the schedule. So, lots of this:

And lots of this: 

Ramona is doing horseback riding and Atticus is on chauffeur duty for that, so, that's helpful.

Ramona at age 3, about (GASP) -- 9 years ago.) 

Ramona's adjusting to piano lessons with a new teacher. She loved her old teacher but she also loves her new one, who is a dear friend of mine and of our whole family. It's all good, just new and different, and and change is funny, even when it's good change, right?

The piano never changes. 

Speaking of change, I may not be able to change up anything in my dining room (between the piano and the table, there isn't much room) but I can change up the artwork: 

There's the new artwork! 

Some of it is from Betsy's "Art for Elementary Ed Majors" class last semester: We were guinea pigs for her Van Gogh-inspired collage project, and her best friend, who took the same class, taught the Eric Carle-inspired lesson (note the pink cat.) 

And second from the bottom, in the center, is Ramona's Minecraft-inspired art. I think it's a Creeper? 

One of Ramona's self-appointed summer projects is to clean up and organize her art area:

One advantage to being the youngest (and being six years behind the next-oldest sibling) is that one gets one's very own art area. When Anne and Betsy were younger, the "art area" was the kitchen table, the living room, the backyard....

Other summer stuff to fit in and work around: Anne is still working for the college as a biology tutor, Betsy will be Ramona's main chauffeur to the pool and water park (thank you, Betsy!) and we'll be visiting out of town family at some point. Ramona might do a couple of theater camps, and there are lots of fun things scheduled through our library and the parks commission, like family nature nights. There are sleepovers to plan, read-alouds to complete ...  I figure that just about the time we get the summer routine down, it will be time for everyone to head off to school.