June is a crazy month. I think the older my kids get, the crazier June gets. What with end of school activities, class breakfasts, recitals, parent participation days, last minute field trips, Father’s day, and the transition to our summer routine.

Have I mentioned that I am currently packing Mazzy up for sleep-away camp??? More on that soon.

Anyway, up top, you have Mazzy and Harlow on the last day of school. Notice Harlow in *gasp* jeans and Mazzy in her ever present hoodie, looking like two freakin’ teenagers. It’s also important to note that Harlow made that chalkboard in wood shop and insisted on writing “Last Day of School” herself because, and I quote, “I want to show everyone how good my handwriting is!”

Yes, Harlow, you have some beautiful handwriting! Now we just have to work a little harder on reading it.

Mazzy and Harlow both look older, wiser and have way longer hair than they had on their first day of first and fourth grade, as evidenced by the photo below taken back in September. Let’s all say it together— THEY GROW SO FAST!!!!

I asked Harlow if she was happy or sad about the last day and she said “somewhere in the middle.” As for Mazzy, she wrote “FREEDOM” on a tank top with a black sharpie and planned to wear it as part of her “last day of school” outfit. But then, at the last second, she decided to change to a regular shirt before heading out the door. All very 4th going into 5th grade behavior.

I haven’t posted much on the blog this month (due to the June craziness mentioned above), but I did work my ass off on a monster NYC guide called “The Best Things to do with Kids in NYC” that I highly encourage you to read, especially if you live in or around NYC, or are planning on visiting soon. It’s a master list of all my favorite kid-friendly NYC recommendations, so I have one comprehensive place to send people when they ask. I tried to give as much insider info as possible, some obvious tourist spots, along with many places you might not have heard about, and I also included nearby playgrounds and kid-friendly food options with most of the destinations. Please let me know if you find my post helpful!

While we are on the topic of NYC, I also wrote about our first family bike ride in Manhattan. We had a blast exploring the East River Promenade and have gone on several family bike rides since. We even made a video bike tour of Domino Park in Brooklyn. Go watch Mazzy and I try to scream over the wind as we try to tell you what to do there. It’s pretty comical.

On Father’s Day, I took the opportunity to write about my dad and his new solar farm. I also wrote about Mazzy’s experience so far with body image, which I’m happy to say, is pretty positive. I’m thinking the really tough stuff happens when puberty hits. And I probably won’t be able to write about it.

Speaking of Mazzy… we dyed her hair blue and OMG it was a disaster. The blue was unexpectedly vibrant at first, but now, after a few days of fading, a fresh cut and a blow out, I think Mazzy’s hair looks great— see photo below. But, that doesn’t mean I’m not permanently scarred from the Smurf murder scene that went down in our bathroom. I highly recommend reading this post if you are thinking of dying your kid’s hair on your own at home. YOU WERE WARNED.

Another big blog topic this month is why I am done having kids. That might seem fairly obvious since I am now 44, but some things are hard to officially say out loud. Sometimes, I think that if I had started having kids earlier in my life (I was 34 when I had Mazzy), I might have gone for a third. But then I remind myself of all the things I have now that I wouldn’t have if I had a baby — like sleeping late on the weekends, sitting down to meals with real family conversations, the ability to travel and do things that the whole family appreciates, etc. etc. A family of four feels right for us.

If you are not following @mommyshortssquad yet, I highly recommend you start. I’ve been posting “questions of the week” in Remarkably Average Parents (like what ridiculous things your kids are currently fighting over and the most embarrassing things your kids said in public) and sharing the best responses on @mommyshortssquad. You guys seriously have the best stories. Make sure to join our group and follow along on Instagram too!