It’s the month to fully immerse ourselves in summer splendor. There’s no school, it’s too soon for back-to-school shopping, and there’s plenty of time for summer reading, relaxing by the pool, and evenings filled with firefly chasing. (See how I made it sound like no one has to work? Hey, a girl can dream!)
This summer, the Thompsons are giving swim team a try, and while it’s too soon to report on the overall success of the endeavor, so far, I have found that it’s as polarizing a topic as the presidential race or where the Diamond should be rebuilt. Parents are either drinking the swim team Kool-Aid or they can’t fathom why on earth anyone would subject themselves to such torture. Now to be fair, the mom who was doing the most eye-rolling at the notion of swim team admits that not everyone may find her family’s weekends filled with travel baseball tournaments their cup of tea. Even this baseball fan doesn’t think that sounds like big summer fun, but if my kid was on the field, I’m sure we’d be all in. I do like the idea that on the swim team, the kids will be competing mostly against themselves, trying each week to improve their own personal time for each event. Add to that pool parties, movie mornings, great coaches, and camaraderie in a team atmosphere, and I think this might just turn into a summer “thing” for us. But mark my word, I will NOT turn into one of those 4:30 a.m. in the pool families. And if and when that happens, someone pull this out and laugh at my morning misery!
There are lots of summer ideas to explore in this month’s RFM. I’ve always wanted to RV across our great nation, and on page twenty-two, you can read all about Alex Iwashyna’s great big family adventures in an RV. Spoiler-alert: It’s a HOOT, but still very informative! Thinking of visiting VMFA, Virginia Historical Society (if there’s a football fan in your household, get on over there), or the Valentine this summer? Catherine Brown talked to some of RVA’s museum experts and has tips on making your visit with the kids a success. Be sure to check out her article, beginning on page fourteen. And summer is a great time to clean out those closets and give away the clothes, toys, and other household items your family no longer needs. With all of the Goodwill retail locations popping up, I was beginning to wonder if our cast-offs were still helping the needy, or if they were just being resold to other families like us around town. I know I love finding bargains there, but again, I wondered if I shouldn’t be shopping there because there were others who needed the bargains more than I did. Joan Tupponce’s exploration of where our goods go, starting on page eighteen, answered all of those questions for me and then some. I’m glad to know I can keep on shopping at my favorite bargain outlets, knowing that Goodwill, and other resale businesses, are doing great things for many in need across Central Virginia.
Enjoy this issue and this fun-filled month – we’ll see you again in August!
