What This Summer Taught Me About Life with Two Little Ones

As I sit here with a cold coffee (reheated twice, naturally) and listen to the sounds of my kids playing in the living room, I’m reflecting on what this summer has taught me. Between juggling full-time work at home and chasing after two little ones alongside my husband, this season has been a masterclass in embracing imperfection and finding joy in the unexpected moments.

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The Art of Letting Go (Because You Have No Choice)

Remember that beautifully organized garage I envisioned? The one with labeled bins and everything in its perfect place? Yeah, that’s still a chaotic collection of outgrown clothes, beach toys, and holiday totes. And you know what? We survived just fine without it (even if it was a little painful every time I walked by).

The backyard cleanup and gardening project I’d planned? Didn’t happen either. Instead of the Waldorf-inspired outdoor space I’d imagined, we have a wonderfully lived-in yard with painted rocks everywhere and forgotten sidewalk chalk masterpieces fading in the driveway.

I did however finally get around to creating that outdoor kitchen I’d pinned seventeen times, even though we had to pivot to a potion kitchen since we have no mud anywhere in our backyard.

FOMO is Real (And Sometimes Worth It)

We made it to the county fair this year with our oldest, enjoying the rides and deep fried foods. We also got to attend a baseball game and Fourth of July festivities for those summer nostalgic memories. But there were so many other things we never got to check off our bucket list as summer just seemed to fly on by.

And here’s what I learned: we can’t do it all, and that’s okay. Instead, we made use of our zoo membership, became regulars at the farmers market, and Tuesday night markets became our weekly tradition. My daughter would look for her favorite playmates after grabbing her favorite sweet treat, and my youngest would be splashing in the fountains, running through the crowds seeing if I could catch up.

Less is More (Especially on Weekends)

I learned from last summer’s mistake and limited the number of activity sign ups. A few lessons of pickleball, our usual swimming lessons, on top of her weekly gymnastics and dance classes. It allowed us that flexibility of slower weekends. There’s something to be said for the magic of unscheduled time – for spontaneous backyard picnics and letting the kids lead the way to whatever adventure they discover in a cardboard box.

Summer is for Nostalgia

One thing I thoroughly enjoyed with them was a day at our local amusement park, the Enchanted Forest near Salem, Oregon. It brought me back to summer trips with my family when we would stop in and tour this magical amusement park. The girls loved it and I experienced a thrill of nostalgia walking through those forested hills.

Systems Save Sanity

After one too many outings where I found myself rationing our wipes and shielding my baby’s eyes from the sun with my hand, I finally got smart about preparation. Now there’s a permanent setup in the back of our car: our trusty wagon with car seat adapter, XL picnic blanket, and my carefully curated stroller purse equipped with wipes, napkins, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and backup sunglasses for whoever inevitably loses theirs.

The prepped diaper bag lives by the door, and there’s always an extra blanket for the baby within reach. It might seem like overkill, but having these systems in place has transformed our spontaneous adventures from stressful scrambles into actual fun.

Celebrating Small Victories

Watching our youngest daughter get more comfortable with walking (and eventually running) definitely kept us on our toes this summer. Our oldest took major strides in her swimming class and was thrilled anytime we took a trip to the pool.

But the thing I enjoyed the most was watching to two of them growing up together and experiencing summer as sisters. Our youngest looks up to her big sister and she loves being able to have some responsibility in taking care of her when we ask.

Your Life Doesn’t Have to Revolve Around Theirs

One of the most important things I kept reminding myself this summer is that it’s okay – actually, it’s healthy – to continue pursuing the things my husband and I love, even with kids in tow. We’re passionate about wine tasting and exploring wine country, and instead of putting that part of our lives on hold for the next decade, we’ve made it work with little ones.

It took some research to find family-friendly wineries and venues that welcome children, but the effort has been worth it. Watching our kids learn to behave in different environments, practice their “restaurant voices,” and adapt to new situations has been invaluable for their development. They’ve learned that sometimes we do things that adults enjoy, and that’s part of being a family.

These outings aren’t always smooth – there have been meltdowns over grape juice not being available and negotiations about how long we can stay – but they’ve taught us all flexibility. Our kids are learning that the world doesn’t revolve around their preferences, while my husband and I are remembering that we’re still individuals with interests beyond Bluey and goldfish crackers.

The Simple Magic of Ordinary Moments

Some of my favorite memories from this summer aren’t from the elaborate outings or special events. They’re from the evenings when we sat on the front steps, sticky and tired, sharing popsicles as the sun set. There’s something profoundly joyful about those simple moments – no agenda, no schedule, just the sweetness of melting popsicles and the contentment that comes from a day well-lived, even if it wasn’t perfectly planned.

Routines Aren’t Rigid (But They Help)

Summer bedtimes are notoriously tricky – how do you convince a toddler it’s time for sleep when the sun is still shining? We struggled with this for weeks before I realized that while we couldn’t control the sunset, we could control when bedtime prep began. Starting our routine at the same time each night, regardless of how bright it still was outside, became our anchor. It wasn’t perfect, and some nights were definitely later than others, but having that consistent starting point helped my oldest daughter know what to expect.

Lessons Learned

This summer taught me that motherhood is less about having it all together and more about showing up with flexibility, humor, and a well-stocked diaper bag. It’s about choosing connection over perfection, presence over productivity, and sometimes (actually most of the time), it’s about letting the laundry wait while you chase bubbles in the backyard.

As we head into fall, I’m carrying these lessons with me – along with a renewed appreciation for air conditioning and the promise of earlier sunsets that might actually make bedtime battles a little easier. But mostly, I’m grateful for a summer that reminded me that the best moments often happen in the spaces between our plans.