By 9:00 I
:: played soccer
:: watched some golf
:: checked the flowers
:: sipped coffee while pulling the wagon
:: savored the freedom of a summer day
By 10:00 I
:: herded the kids inside to escape the climbing tempatures
:: made breakfast
:: let the kids cool off with popsicles
By 11:00 I
:: vacuumed the living room floor and quickly wiped the bathroom down with baby wipes (hmm, maybe I can keep a clean house this summer)
:: embraced the enthusiasm to set up the play tents and tubes
:: battled the tent poles, no, really battled the tent poles
::
:: reheated my coffee for the third time
By 11:29 I
:: wondered, amidst the "mama, mama, mama" and tent pole swinging, how in the world I ended up here
:: stepped on a tent pole connector in bare feet (think stepping on a Lego piece in bare feet)
By 11:30 I
:: cried (this is really hard)
By 11:43 I
:: attempted to pick up the kitchen, and surrendered as loser to its overwhelming piles
:: snuck the last brownie from the pan
:: resorted to PBS Kids
Now at 12:16 I
:: am taking some deep breaths
:: forgiving myself for being imperfect (we all are some times, aren't we?)
:: tossing ice cubes in my again lukewarm coffee, just giving in and making it iced coffee
:: am thinking that all of the great ideas I jotted down earlier this week to make it a fantastically fun and smooth summer must seriously, seriously be put into place
How about you other Mamas out there? What do you do to make it a fantastically fun and smooth summer?
{update}
Then at 2:00 I
:: find some redemption as the littlest ones are napping
:: enjoy teamwork with Buddy as we finally set up the playhouse, no battles, no pole swinging (not much anyway)
:: get beckoned inside the playhouse for snuggles
:: find my bliss, with my oldest son, who gives me kisses and kisses, and says to me as I am fretting if I have set the playhouse up with the right size tubes in the right spots, "it's not about being the tallest or smallest or biggest, its about being the funnest"
:: marvel at my smart, smart boy
Yes, you are right my dear son, it is the funnest, all of it.
Ahh! You're hilarious with your coffee. I think far too many moms are embarrassed to admit how often they reheat their coffee (I do it ALL THE TIME!) Might I add one idea to make the summer fun: GIVE IN TO DIRT. Allow for dirty play outside and accept that there will be MANY more baths given in the summer months than in the winter months. p.s. nice list :)
ReplyDeleteI loved this post Claudine. You are so beautifully honest and funny!! I had to laugh at the parts where the kids were playing with the tent poles, you sneaking in the last brownie and painfully stepping on lego pieces. It sounded like moments in my house and how I would have enjoyed laughing with you about it in person :). And PBS kids in never a bad resort!!
ReplyDeleteOh, those days are so hard! It must have felt good that afternoon to have found some good moments and to relax. My kids are older now (6 & 10), but we still have times like you did where I just want to hide. Sometimes I do, telling them I need to get away so I don't do or say something I'll regret. Modeling coping skills, whoopie! :)
ReplyDeleteAren't oldest children a blessing when you are most vulnerable?!
ReplyDeleteAs for our routine, we established a set of summer rules. The kids made most of them with a few additions from us. We posted the rules in the kitchen and shared them with the sitter that comes to the house for the summer. With them having ownership in how the day is shaped, we've done pretty well. Though it is early!
that is one smart son you've got there, miss claudine!
ReplyDeleteand you know what? your rundown is pretty much a dead-ringer for each of our days. full of imperfections they are. que sera!
xo,
molly
Sounds like some many of my mornings, smooth start, big plans, and then it gets a bit out of hand and I have to scale it down, re-evaluate and change course, but somehow it always works out... hardly ever as planned but sometimes it does... You have got fellow sisters out there/here that are in the same boat, reheating, and giving in to the ice cubes and PBS and you know what, we are all doing a wonderful job raising our little ones doing the best we know how each day at a time...hugs~
ReplyDeleteShannon
Mama of 4.75 year old Jack
and 14 month old twins Max and Noah