An Average Summer Day
It is 6:50 AM and I hear Max barrel down the stairs and slam a door! Seriously! I turn over and attempt to go back to sleep but I am up! Thanks Max!
I head downstairs and scold Max and make my coffee. I make my husbands lunch and he takes off to work. I make all three of my kids a nice breakfast and realize I probably should focus on feeding myself now!
I run in the basement to workout and my two year old follows me. She is dancing to my music and hanging from things she shouldn’t be hanging from! That certainly wasn’t a relaxing workout!
I pack us all a picnic lunch and get everyone’s bathing suit on. Getting to an 11:10 swim lesson is hard for me. Getting out the door period is hard for me!
By the time I walk my kids to the pool I am out of breath. I feel like I put in a full day of work! The kids go off to their instructors and Lillie and I watch from the fence. I am annoyed that Ella is swimming with a noodle. She knows how to swim with a pool noodle. Lets start teaching some strokes people!
Swim lessons end and I am followed out by a frantic little girl who couldn’t find her grandparents. This happened to me Monday too. I must have a stamp on my forehead “nice mom who will help you!” Max turns to me and tells me how lucky he is that I am his mom when he sees this little girl upset. I trip over my feet surprised by the nice comment! Moments like this are what put me in a reset state from the stress of the day. Lets see how long my reset lasts!
I lay out a blanket to give them lunch while Lillie is screaming to go swimming. I assure Lillie that I will take her swimming soon. Motherhood takes extreme patience! Be nice, be calm runs through my mind all day (even when I yell). I am pulling out their food thinking “didn’t I just feed you?” I packed my kids lunches every day for school. Every day they brought food home telling me they couldn’t finish their lunch. Every day I was surprised by this. Today I pull out tons of food and they eat it all and ask for more! I didn’t pack enough?! Why is this! All I do is feed these people!
We head into family splash and the head instructor kicks us out and tells us to wait in the lobby for five more minutes. I just dragged my kids and my heavy bags all this way and you want me to go back?! I am not amused! He is a young kid who just doesn’t get that going back to the lobby with three kids and two large bags is not that easy!
We finally get into the splash pool. My kids are all happily swimming, the pool isn’t crowded yet, and I am relaxing on the side of the pool watching them. I take a deep breath, smile and enjoy the few minutes of peace. I take a few minutes whenever and wherever I can get it!
It is now 1:00 and the pools open to the public. The crowds start running in and Max starts begging me to go to the big pool. I see Lillie crouch down and I grab her and drag her out of the water knowing what is coming. Big poop explosion in a swim diaper = big mess for me to now clean. I am not happy!
Lillie is all clean and back in the pool. She is happily practicing swimming in the splash pool. Ella is now laying out relaxing on a towel where I can watch her. Max has begged to go to the big pool and our friends have arrived. I keep my eyes on Lillie swimming and keep spot checking Ella and Max. My kids are in three different directions and my anxiety is through the roof. My eyes are moving in three different directions and I am pacing. “Have clear consistent expectations and rules for your kids,” I tell myself! Max and Ella come into the splash pool and I lecture them that I need them to stay here with me and swim with Lillie so I can relax a little. My kids are smiling and swimming which are two of my very favorite things. It is mid July and I ask summer to massively slow down. I love the summer. I love my kids being home. I love camp mom. I am not going to tell you that I don’t get stressed. I do get stressed and yet there is nothing I would rather be doing (ok maybe I would rather be getting a pedicure).
Max and Ella start asking for a snack (yes more food, I feed them all freaking day) and Lillie is now shaking. I wrap up Lillie and pull out some oranges. The kids eat as Ella starts begging me to go do a craft! We pack up and head to the playmobile where the kids can make a craft. The kids find more friends from their school and make their craft. Max is asking for the ice cream truck and Ella is asking to head to the playground. I love to say yes to my kids but the answer to both of them is NO! I pulled up at 11 AM and it is now 3:30 PM. I would like to go home! My kids would stay here longer if I let them!
We head home to relax and unwind watching a movie together. Where did the day go? My kids are cuddled up watching a movie. Everyone is happy and eating popcorn (yes more food)! I smile and think “my life is crazy and you know what…my life is good!” Happy summer everyone! Go enjoy the sunshine and go for a swim! We are all going to sleep well tonight!
My lessons:
Soak up the sunshine and time with my kids!
Have strong summer stamina because it will be over quickly!
Always bring a back up swim diaper!
Have clear consistent rules and expectations – I am always working on this one!!
