Summertime

I had an epiphany the other day in church.

I realized that I will NEVER get anything extra done during the summer. I can only maintain the bare essentials at best; keep us all fed, do the dishes, wash the clothes and try to keep us all from hurting each other - accidentally or otherwise.

I usually start each summer with high hopes of all the great projects the kids and I, or at least I - with the help of the extra babysitters at home, will be able to accomplish.

"THIS will be the summer I get us all organized." I usually tell myself.

A close second is, "This is the summer I will teach the kids how to really work."
(I know I really shouldn't put this here, but the quote from Wayne's World is just begging to be inserted. "And maybe monkeys will fly........." If you know the movie, which I should be ashamed to say I've seen twice, once when it came out and again more recently, you'll know the quote. I hope you'll cut me some slack, I grew up in the 80s.)

Then I mentally list all the projects I just know we're (I'm) going to have time to do:

Go through all the photos and put them into books finally (and in chronological order), yep. Clean out the office (again), uh huh. Go through all the extra storage containers and get rid of some, sure. Go through ALL the old toys and see which ones we don't need any more, of course we can. Clear all the "end of school year" clutter off the pool table so we can actually play pool again, great idea! These are all things that are perpetually on my summer to-do list.

It finally dawned on me that these things will probably not ever happen, at least not during the summer. I'm too busy picking up all the extra cereal bowls and washing all the extra clothes and/or swimsuits and trying to get rid of all the extra grass that has been tracked all over the house. And then there are all the extra dentist and orthodontist and other varied appointments I've been putting off until we got some extra time. Oh yes, and let's not forget the extra neighbor kids I have running all over the place too. All this while trying to keep my three very different kids out of extra mischief. (Or at least two of them.)

So, I decided to make peace with this, adopt kind of a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" sort of attitude.

I'm going to enjoy my summer too.

As long as the basics are covered, I'm going to lounge a little bit. Relax, chill out with some lemonade and a good book. Maybe break into the stack of magazines that has been piling up.

And when I get a little extra time, I'm going to do MY favorite summer activity (next to going to Bear Lake, of course).

I'm going to figure out just how many days are left until school starts and taunt the kids with the information.

(Morgan told me an epiphany should be a religious experience, but since I was in church when I figured all this out, I think it qualifies.)