Family Dynamics is 100% Different During the Summer

Just as the summer is beginning to gear up and I am getting used to having my children around all day long, although I do have my daughters around all day long, everyday . . . but I feel like we have "school hours" and during that time, I'm not really on-duty for mom duties - if that makes any sense at all . . .. . . but it is summer break now and all three kiddos are home and I have to say I think I may find it hard for my children to return to school. (snort and snicker do I hear)

However, I feel it is my responsibility (and perverse pleasure) to enlighten everyone that I actually do love to be around my children. Staying home all the time is much more difficult than working, in my honest opinion. How children being home for the summer changes the family dynamics in my home is filled with hilarity.

My home and family dynamics are 100% different during the summer

Like it or not, being home all day long with children is a tough job. Guess what? I am around my children, all day long (I thought I needed to say that again)! I don't get coffee breaks or lunch breaks or an opportunity to run errands. I can run errands, but my children are with me. If your kids are anything like mine, running errands is like taking them to the dentist. They are hopped up on adrenaline and always whining for something or other. Another thing, I am around my children all day long (a point worth repeating, again). I find myself lucky if I get to get to take a shower without a face peeking at me asking me a question!

Each day is jam packed with activities such as music lessons, horse riding lessons and swim lessons and summer tutoring (and yes, I absolutely torture my children and make them have enrichment tutoring in the summer). In between all this shuffling time I need to find time to actually have fun with my children. You know, like take them swimming or to the park or bike riding. Oh, and I also need to clean toilets, shop for food, cook the food and clean up after everyone!?

All these activities I thoroughly enjoy! (do you hear my sarcasm) Do you have any idea how difficult and exhausting it is to watch three children at a local swimming pool. I nearly have a stroke every time I don't see a head pop up out of the water when I feel it needs to pop up for air! Those two minutes can be excruciating at times!

But I guess worrying about my children drowning is much better than worrying about mundane tasks such as deadlines and appointments and meetings. That is good because I don't think I have the mental capacity to actually worry about such mundane tasks anymore. I really need to put forth some effort to use my brain in other ways than to snort at Sponge Bob in the morning. I'd really love the opportunity to use my brain on an adult level again . . . sometime soon.

Oh, and since there is not a babysitter in the equation, because I am the babysitter. My children are magically(say this in a singing voice) little angels . . . every single second of the day. Because you know since I am around 100 percent of the time, I can redirect their behavior at a moments notice . . . and let me tell you, it so works! I get to enjoy their wonderful personalities all day long! (didn't I say that already?)

I have yet to make peace with the level of filth that has accumulated in my home this summer already. Sand in the corners, sand in my rugs, ice cream wrappers stuffed in the sofa, freezer pop wrapping under the ottoman, flip-flops-fricking-everywhere! I mean, seriously, can I clean my house once and have it remain clean for like say, an hour??

When summer first began I (in fact, we, all of us) were so excited for a fabulous summer. I have planned days at the museums, outings to the zoo(we've been twice already!!), spending at local fairs and carnivals (once July arrives), evenings at baseball games, we even planted a garden which is sprouting nicely now! I have since decided I am tired from all the running around with the children. And we have only been summering for two full weeks! Reality set in, I need to pace myself. Summer isn't even half over and I feel as if I have already run a marathon!

I know looking ahead to the next 10 weeks we will have craft days, rainy days, movie days and the "I'm so bored today" days. I know I will be bored (Shh, don't tell my kids). Boredom can be particularly heavy for me because I basically single parent as my husband works and travels quite a bit. The days will stretch into weeks and the weeks into months and I will seamlessly need to fill the endless void of boredom for my children and myself. Any suggestions??

Being at home all summer long with my children is not easy . . . my house is a wreck (literally, it is a wreck). I have laundry in piles in various corners of my home, I have bags under my eyes bigger than my favorite Louis because I love to stay up until 3AM streaming Netflix! My kids swapped rooms with each other and I have yet to find a spot from moving three separate bedrooms into two! Oy!

But, I am going to look at what is important to me, and that is spending time with my kiddos! I intend to hold on to the fun times of this summer break, for I know I will miss these days when my children are older teens. I do enjoy each day, but realize it is a roller-coaster of change, just as the days were of altered nap times (wasn't that just yesterday?), these days will be oh so fleeting!

In this life, I get used to one thing, and it changes. Hmmmm....maybe change is good, for it is the cycle of life!