Hey there—you made it to Friday! This week had its usual mix of summer activities, family schedules, and trying to keep everyone entertained, and you made it through.

With August just around the corner, the back-to-school countdown is officially beginning. But not quite yet. This weekend is a great chance to soak up a little more summer, make a few memories, and enjoy a slower pace before backpacks, alarms, and busy school mornings return.

"The little moments you make together today become the memories your kids carry for a lifetime."

Have a wonderful weekend—we'll see you next week!

Tie a piece of string across the living room (or use painter's tape on the floor as a "net"), grab a balloon, and play family volleyball. No score-keeping required — just see how many hits you can get before it touches the ground. It's loud, silly, and works for basically any age.

Since there's no homework this weekend, use a few minutes this afternoon to do a quick "homework folder purge" — pull out old worksheets, graded papers, and crumpled flyers from backpacks. Recycle what's done, keep what matters. It's a small task that makes Monday morning noticeably calmer.

If you haven't tried it, Mancala is a simple strategy game with just a board and small stones or beads — quick to learn, genuinely fun for both kids and adults, and easy to keep going for "one more round."

If your kid says a sibling owes them a "fanum tax," they're joking about taking a portion of someone's food — as in, "you have to pay the fanum tax" before you can eat your snack in peace. It's silly, harmless, and very much a snack-time thing.

Younger kids: Which bird is famous for saying "hoot"?
Older kids: What is the smallest country in the world?

(Answers below!)

However this week went — smooth, chaotic, or somewhere in between — you got your family to the finish line, and that counts for something.

This weekend looks a little different with school out, and that's a good thing. There's no "right" way to spend a holiday weekend — sleeping in, running errands, or doing absolutely nothing all count as good uses of the time.

Hope your weekend surprises you in a good way.

1. Owl — owls are famous for their distinctive "hoot" calls, which they use to communicate and defend their territory, especially at night.

2. Vatican City — the world's smallest country is only about 49 hectares (121 acres) in size and is the home of the Pope and the headquarters of the Catholic Church.