In what feels like a blink of an eye, once again school is out for summer. All across the country, mother's everywhere are gearing up for a three month free-for-all, by stocking up on pool toys, sunscreen, ear plugs, and for some of us, large glasses of wine.
Personally I sort of have a mixed bag of feelings about summer vacation. Part of me breaks into a cold sweat thinking about three wild boys running around my house looking for
A much bigger part of me though, delights in the idea of laid back mornings in our jammies, afternoons by the pool, dripping ice cream cones, and evenings spent roasting marshmallows. What's not to love about that?
Most of all, what I really love about summer break, is that it gives us moms (and grandmas!), after nine months of school projects, sports practice, flash cards and homework, the time to rediscover our children all over again.
Most of the time it feels as though my family and I are just on one big hamster wheel of life during the school year. We rise with the sun and rush to get ready for the day, scramble to make school lunches, and then race for the bus. Then it's off to run errands, doctor and dentist appointments, emptying the dishwasher, and folding never ending mountains of laundry. When the kids come from school it's a race for a quick snack, homework, then we all spread out for practice for whichever sport we are playing at the time. Dinner comes late in the evening, after which we finish up the rest of the homework, shower off the boy stink, and then collapse into bed. Then we wake up the next day and do it all over again. And on and on, around the hamster wheel we go.
Don't get me wrong though, my family weirdly thrives on a packed schedule and we do spend a lot of time together as a family because of it; but in our daily rush some of the spontaneity and closeness of just having some down time together gets lost in the hustle.
Summertime is a time to get silly with your kids, to stay up late gazing up at the stars to catch a comet, and for eating ice cream for breakfast. Somewhere in between the long bike rides, lazy picnic lunches, and skipping rock contests, it happens. Everyone's shoulders start to relax, those goofy personalities we love so much come out to play, and we once again see our carefree children that had once been so stressed out about playing, "Bah Bah Black Sheep" in their upcoming recorder concert.
Instead of fighting who gets to the bus first, brothers once again share whispered secrets while digging in the mud for worms, or giggles over inappropriate songs about body parts; instead of throwing erasers at each other's heads at the homework table.
Moms get sweet hugs with sticky fingers and late night cuddles on the couch. On long walks by the river; preteen boys (who are still little boys to their mamas) share tales of their school friends that their mom didn't even know they had, and ask big questions their moms are never prepared to answer.
Mostly, summer for me, gives back some of that time from when they were little and we had them all to ourselves. We knew every triumph and tragedy in their little world and mostly all of their secrets.
I think back on how I couldn't wait for them to start preschool - for a tiny bit of independence for them and for me, but now I count the days until the summer sun comes out, and I see glimpses of those grubby little boys whose only worry is when their next snack is. I've got three months and gallons of ice cream ahead of me and I couldn't be happier!
Happy Summer Break!
~Angela
