And live in homes of their own.
I LOVE summer - but when you are a teacher, summer does not necessarily mean lounging by the pool, kicking back with beach reading, and sipping lemonade on a porch swing. Summers for teachers mean FINALLY getting your house clean (maybe), attending a few too many professional development sessions (definitely), and if you are really industrious, getting a jump start on planning for the new year.
Unless you also have 3 kiddos at home.
Summer for this teacher is a whirlwind of excitement mixed with high expectations for magical moments of family togetherness, memory making, and...wait for it...
SLEEP!
Alas. (See photo at left.) By 9am most summer nights I find myself begging my angel turned demon children to PLEASE go to sleep so that I can recover from the day of chasing, diapering, refereeing, and cleaning...or at least go to the bathroom in peace! By the time I crawl into bed (or pass out in the floor next to the pirate's bed), I can't even remember the moments when we laughed hysterically at Bob's grumpy face when I dared to suggest he should not leap from the kitchen table, were marveled by the crown prince's uncanny recreation of a "Minecraft Steve" out of cardstock, tacky glue, and a toothpick, or were rendered speechless when the pirate kissed her brother's latest head wound and brought him a popsicle to chase away the tears (never mind she grabbed two for herself on the way!).
So I'm taking a different approach this summer - and hopefully into the foreseeable future. I want to slow down, be more mindful of the many blessings I have, and take time to treasure my here and now...or at least revel in the hysterically funny, share the unbelievably frustrating, and embrace the overwhelmingly messy but beautiful moments of parenthood.
I invite you to join me in this adventure. I hope you will read my commentary aka "mom-mentary" and pass it along to anyone you think might find it funny, inspiring, or therapeutic. Feel free to share your experiences, too!
After all, isn't it much easier when we know we aren't alone in this world?
Unless you are staying in a dorm. At age 35. Then being alone for a few days doesn't sound so bad after all!
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