Summer toddler activities that would get me trouble. #OurSummerJourney

As I shared the other day, summer was a bit bipolar. Ups, downs, in-betweens. Some good, some not. Hello, it’s LIFE. And as we know: Life is a journey. Roll with it. Just go. Handle it (that’s my mom’s favorite mantra from back in the day). With this summer came certain moments (or – MOMents – as I affectionately like to call them) that will stick out in my mind for years to come… activities and MOMents that would prompt my husband to cringe about and then crucify me for should he ever find out that we did them. Not that my hubs is a priss or anything (the guy’s been known to get a night’s sleep on a gurney in a tent on international medical missions), but let’s just say he’s VERY protective of his little girls when it comes to committing certain activities in the toddler world. Like, SOOOOO protective… it’s sweet and right and wonderful, but at the same time makes me look like a heartless, neglectful mother cat who could give a crap about her young. (Which, you know I’m NOT like that, right?)

The following top {secret} activities gave us lots laughs and love when we needed it most this summer… but shhh… do not – DO NOT – tell my husband:

1) I REFUSED TO MAKE A PIT STOP ON A 3 HOUR ROAD TRIP. My girls have always been fabulous little road trippers (thanks to monthly 3-hour rides to and from my parents’ house since they’ve been about 2 months old). I can pull off not stopping for a 3 hour ride without them complaining. But my husband? “A stop is mandatory with toddlers… they need to move.” Not when I’m in charge. (I say let ’em be if they’re not complaining… but that’s just me. And hey, they were comfy in the shade thanks to our fabulous Safety 1st sunshades.)

2) WE WALKED THOUGH LOTS AND LOTS OF WEEDS AND DIRT IN THE SWELTERING SUN. Only so we could get down to the shore of the lake and cool off! In my defense, we all had sunscreen on. And, the walking-through-weeds part only happened because of California’s horrible drought. That entire area that we walked through (to get to the water’s edge) should have actually been underwater. Roughing it a bit is good for the soul, I say. Teaches these youngsters to deal with circumstances that aren’t the most posh. My husband probably would’ve flipped and called us hillbillies.

3) WE ENJOYED LOLLIPOPS FOR DINNER (ONCE!), DID NOT BRUSH OUR TEETH, AND THEN FELL ASLEEP. C’mon. You know you’ve done this too. WE WERE STROLLING ON THE PIER. AT. THE. BEACH. She ate the lollipop (the size of her own head), stuck it to her shirt (probably to save it for later) and then fell asleep. I’m skipping the picture on this because it’s too incriminating. (I can hear it now: “You let her eat a whole lollipop like that?!?”)

4) I LET MY LILMISS TAKE HER NAP ON A TOWEL WHILE WE WADED IN THE LAKE. (What can I say, the chick likes to get her beauty rest.) Again, we had sunscreen on and it wasn’t really hot… there was a swift and strong breeze. (“You should take her back to the house!!”)

5) WE ALL WENT NECK-DEEP IN THE LAKE. (Okay, I actually didn’t because this does gross me out a bit, given my reckless and wild lake experience a few years ago, but my kids did and they LOVED it.) If hubby saw this he’d have my head for letting my girls be so closely exposed to and potentially swallow dirty water that has, most likely, at some point been peed in. (Okay that is yucky… but it was so much fun!)

By this recount, some might think our journey was rough and tough and all-things-wrong. I blame my niece. My sassy and sweet blue-eyed little niece (who happens to be exactly 5 weeks younger than my LilMiss). You see, this little chick-a-dee alternated as our pint-sized sidekick and hostess for these fun and forbidden summer activities… and boy did we all live it up together. But that’s what happens when two sisters, their mom and their kids meet up for summer fun.

Some of the best journeys in life are rough, dirty, sticky, bumpy, out of your usual norm and just plain dramatic (this coming from a gal whose daughters were beyond obnoxious at times regarding sharing of toys). But damn, these kinds of MOMents sure make for some unforgettable memories.

So bring it on autumn… can ya beat this?

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST FABULOUS SUMMER JOURNEY THIS SEASON?

DISCLOSURE: This post is part of the #MySummerJourney sponsored campaign by Safety 1st. All experiences and opinions are my own. To check out great gear for babies, kids and all-things-family, tweet or post (via Facebook) your favorite summer MOMents to @Safety_1st, tagging #OurSummerJourney. Contest to win amazing prizes runs through August 31, 2014. Winner announced by Safety 1st on September 1, 2014.