Dialogue: School’s Out

School’s Out

Trent Reed with sons Jackson (9), Grayson (4) and Maverick (1) at Wet Beaver Creek in Rimrock.

THE OTHER DAY I found myself once again picking up damp towels from around our house after a visit to our neighborhood splash pad. Feeling frustrated, I let out an overly exaggerated sigh, asking if it was that difficult to hang towels up. (“Am I the only one who cleans up around here?!”) Then I peered over from the kitchen and watched my oldest pulling the little ones in our wagon around the house and the overwhelming sound of giggles made me wonder how many more summers I might have to pick up wet towels for my kids.

School’s out now and for the next few months pool towels will adorn my kitchen chairs like a nod to late summer nights, relaxed schedules, and lots of spontaneous fun (and maybe some more weekly laundry…). When the daytime temps are soaring, you’ll often find our family at the local library, splash pad, or indoor play place.

If you’re feeling uninspired this summer break, we’ve rounded up all the fun places to take the kids in the Metro-Phoenix area, Tucson, and around the state! On weekends our family likes to pack a cooler and hit the road to explore Arizona. Sometimes it’s easy day trips to our favorite spots in Prescott and Rimrock and other times we plan an overnight trip to the White Mountains.

In this issue of Raising Arizona Kids you’ll read about our cover family, the Goodmans, who were good sports as we shot this cover on an unusually chilly morning in Surprise. The Goodmans share about the recent adoption of their 5th child, Landon, their foster-to-adopt journey, and some helpful tips for new foster families. You’ll also find some great insight for dads, a new way to rent a pool, tips for working from home with the kids, and lots of summer fun ideas! I share one of my easy COOL activities that you can do with your little ones, and we’ve made a few at-home date night suggestions that you can try this season.

If I’m being honest, I can’t say that I’m looking forward to the constant noisy chaos, endless amounts of snacks, disrupted nap schedules, messy house, and the bickering I’ll have to tune out while working. I’ll have days I’m frazzled and running on fumes, counting down the hours until bedtime. But, this summer, I’m making the most of our long days–embracing late evening park visits when the sun starts to set, playing in the splash pad with my boys, getting creative with our daily routines, and making memories I hope my kids remember into adulthood.

Kate Reed, Publisher

Do you have a topic you would love us to write about? Email publisher@rakmagazine.com

Summer 2022 | Vol 33 | No 2

PUBLISHER Kate Reed

EDITOR Monique Seleen

CONTRIBUTORS Karen Aurit, Michael Aurit, Richard Engel, MD, Rachel Galvez, Ofelia Gonzalez, Justin Liggin, Ilana Lowery, Alessandra Navidad, Rosalind Prather, Ashley Richards, Chris Seleen, Alex Swartz, Michelle Thompson, Maricopa County Library District

ART DIRECTOR Michèlle-Renée Adams

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Kate Reed

MARKETING CONSULTANTS Shannon Cornall, Rachael Kimmel

Raising aRizona Kids magazine (ISSN 1051-4295) was created to connect Valley families to local resources and share real-life stories about the challenges and joys of raising children. Copyright © 2022 by Raising aRizona Kids, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Content guidelines are available at raisingarizonakids.com

@RAKmagazine on Twitter; RaisingArizonaKids on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin; RAKmagazine Pinterest and Youtube.

CONTACT US editorial@RAKmagazine.com familytime@RAKmagazine.com advertising@RAKmagazine.com subscriptions@RAKmagazine.com

15508 W. Bell Rd., Suite 101-123, Surprise, AZ 85379 480–991–KIDS (5437) raisingarizonakids.com

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH