A Relaxing Summer?

“Have a relaxing summer!” said the kids’ teachers on the last day of school. I chuckled at the thought, knowing that relaxing just isn’t the way I would describe my summers. I purposefully signed the kids up for fewer things than last year, knowing that it would be difficult to get them back and forth with a tiny baby in tow. I had every intention of taking it easy this summer. However, the kids won’t have it that way. When Miss M went to sleep before the first day of summer vacation, she asked, “So, what are we doing tomorrow?” I responded, “Nothing…and that’s alright with me.” Unfortunately it wasn’t alright with her.

Did you know that my kids actually expect me to have something entertaining for them to do each and every day of the summer? They don’t realize the kind of pressure that puts on a mom. I agree that summer should be a fun time for the kids, but not at the expense of my sanity. I have been trying to come up with something, even something small, to satisfy them each day. And if you ask me, we’ve had a fun and eventful couple of weeks so far. Mostly our activities have been spontaneous things, like going to the park or going to a friend’s house. But starting this weekend there are loads of pre-planned activities on our calendar.

To illustrate…
Miss M has a softball game at 9:00. Big D and C.B. have a game at 10:45 nowhere near Miss M’s game. My husband coaches on both of these teams, so he will have to count on the other coaches to get the boys’ game started. We will be home with enough time to eat lunch before I have to leave for a singing gig with the band at 2:00. My other half has been asked to videotape our transferring pastor’s last Mass and farewell reception at our church starting at 3:45. The whole family will attend the farewell reception around 5:45 and we’ll probably get home just in time for bed. And that, my friends is tomorrow.

Next week Miss M has Girl Scout Day Camp, while Big D is signed up for Basketball Camp. The following week is Vacation Bible School for the three oldest kids, and I am one of the station leaders. We have a camping trip planned over the Fourth of July weekend, and another Vacation Bible School (at which I will not be working) the week after that. Miss M has a variety of Girl Scout Larks (day trips) scheduled during the month of July, and we have another camping trip planned for the first week in August. We will then have about two weeks to get our school supplies and our acts together for the first day of school on August 18.

When I put the summer into paragraph form, it seems impossible that we will be able to fit in a trip to the Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, the water park, or a weekend at the “Country House”. What about the programs at the Library or the free movies on weekday mornings at the theatre? Don’t forget about things like Father’s Day, ballgames and practices that will continue through the end of July, and a joint Baptism for Mr. H and my new nephew. Then we’ll need time for visiting with my brother-in-law who has just come back to the states from Iraq, and with my grandma from Texas who will also be here for a couple of weeks.

I’m fairly confident that we’ll fit it all in somehow. It won’t always be easy, but I am sure we’ll be able to look back in August and say we had a great summer. Relaxing? Maybe not. But it should be fun.