Not Enough Time in the Day

As the kids played in the sun and sand yesterday, my mom-friend Tracy and I were discussing what we've been doing all summer.  The conversation went something like this ...

Tracy:  I can't believe school starts in two weeks.  I'm so not ready for school to start.
Me:  Seriously?  I can't wait for school to start.  I'm thinking it should've started yesterday.
T:  I just feel like summer has flown by.
Me:  The days go by slowly but the weeks go by quickly, right?  I feel like we haven't done half the things I had planned for this summer.
T:  I know.  We never went to a free movie.  We never took advantage of the free bowling.
Me:  All we've done is go to the pool all summer.  Every other day.

We're truly pathetic, aren't we?  Most people (who aren't stay-at-home parents) would kill to have a life of leisure like that.  Time to go to the pool every other day?  Absolutely.  What a treat!

So why are we feeling like we've done nothing all summer?

I think this is just the infection of the brain that many SAHM's (and dads) have.

During school months, we feel like we're missing out on so much.  The kids have crazy school schedules that keep us from being able to stay up late or sleep in.  We have homework and school activities that dictate our weekly schedules.  And then the weekends roll around and we feel like we need to let them "catch up" on their rest, so we stick around the house.  Then, as summer rolls in, we begin planning.  I seriously pulled up every single possible free activity under the sun in our general vicinity for this summer.

And what have I done with that list?

It's stuffed in the drawer in the kitchen where we stuff the mail that we are too lazy to take upstairs and file.

At the very bottom.

(BTW, right now my kids are playing Play Doh, and Tanner just announced he is God.  In heaven.  I love it!)

I mean we went to one free movie the first or second week of summer vaca.  We saw, "The Squeakquel," which was well worth the drive to Town Center.  We haven't used our weekly free bowling coupons because they make you rent the bowling shoes, and it's $4.50 each, so I'd be paying 10 bucks for my kids to bowl.  I was saving it for a rainy day, but we've yet to really have one of those anyway.  Honestly, I just haven't felt like packing the kids up and driving all over the world to do things.  I'm perfectly content letting them stay in their PJs all day or letting them pick out the worst-matched clothing so they can just playing in the dirt.

And why not?

Why have we been conditioned to feel like we need to have something to do every day?  Why are we not content just sitting around the house and letting them watch TV or play with Play Doh when it's too hot outside?  And why do I feel like a failure when I "only" take them to the pool?

Let me be frank : I'm kinda happy to be a mom who doesn't over-schedule my kids.  It's been very nice just lounging and playing in the kiddie pool or packing our lunches and eating a picnic at the big pool.  Only in the last week or so have I started thinking, "OK, it's time to go back to school."

If you have two kids who are school-age, I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.  ("I'm bored."  "I don't have anything to do."  "I don't want to play with Tanner right now."  Etc.)

So I'm welcoming the new school year with open arms.  I'm still a little sad to see Tanner going off to school, but I'm much more relieved now that he's only going 4 days a week ... that will give me a little more time with him before he hits big school next year!

(Yes, I'm already looking forward to next year ...)