The Coming Summer

I’ve always love the changing seasons, especially here in Utah. We have hot, dry summers; crisp, golden autumns;  picture-perfect Christmas winters, and a glorious new spring every year.  The variety of weather and the various mountain views make life a little more beautiful.

Now that we have Anna, the different seasons change our lives more than just the temperature or the view.    Because we want Anna to play outside as much as possible without her gear on, outdoor playtime changes dramatically in the summer. During June and July, the sun will set around 9:00 pm.  In December, it gets dark as early as 5:30 pm.

During most of the summer, we join Anna outside after 9:00 pm until it’s too dark to play. Anna’s bedtime, then, usually is around 11pm to midnight. Normally, that’s way too late for a toddler – but for Anna, it’s just right. She’s a little night owl, and we’re grateful for that during the summer months.

In the winter, most kids don’t play outside after 5 or 6pm, because it’s dark AND cold.  So Anna staying inside during the winter isn’t very different than most kids.

As summer approaches, I’m grateful for the precious hours outside after the sun has set – when it’s still warm, and Anna and her mom and dad (and the new dog Buzz) can be outside without protective gear and without worry.

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