Summer Break Eve

 Today is Summer Break Eve.  I have that swirling feeling of emotions in my stomach when I am on the brink of a big change.

I am mourning the quiet part of the morning after the rush to get the kids on the bus. Something about the quiet makes the coffee taste especially good. Or maybe it is just because I was able to drink it hot without interruptions. 

I will also miss going out to lunch wherever I wanted to.

Oh, and working without having to keep an ear out for the kids, I am really going to miss that, too.

But I am also excited for the adventures we are going to take now that I don't need to be the warden of homework and the morning routine. 

Last week I talked about being a fun parent, and in the trenches of routine and obligations, I often forget to have fun.  But I really want to embrace my inner fun parent, like the one who showed up to theTaylor Swift concert. 

This summer, maybe we’ll have ice cream for dinner. 

Or breakfast at the park. 

Maybe we’ll wake up one day without any plans and end up going on an all-day adventure.

I know that they will still need to eat their vegetables and read and brush their teeth.  But somewhere in there, I want them to know it’s OK to embrace spontaneity and be carefree (which is not to be confused with carelessness, like riding a bike without a helmet or eating a strawberry popsicle on the microfiber chair without a napkin – EEK)!

I love making plans because I know that I parent best when we are doing things rather than sticking around the house, but I need to remember to give myself a break. Like this summer when I vowed that we just needed sprinklers, hot dogs, and icecream. 

Spending less time on meal planning will allow me to honor my inner fun parent.  (See hot dogs and ice cream).  It can be so exhausting to have all the meals figured out and then make the meals and then hope everyone eats the meals and then cleaning up after the meals.  It is my firm belief a minimum of 75% of parenting revolves around food.

If we are going to focus on having fun and making memories, some things have got to go to the wayside.

So here, on Summer Break Eve, I feel fresh and ready to embrace these next few months! 

Listen, I know it is very likely probable that sometime soon after break has begun, I will have lost my shit while dealing with the kids.

But right now, today I am feeling hopeful that my fun parent outlook will be able to take us through the season with some grace and good times.

Because without hope, I will be miserable, and it is will be a long, hot dismal summer.

Hey, I forgot to mention that I got a new bike for Mother's Day.
Nothing says fun parent like wearing your pajamas and posing with
a bike in the family room, right?
Can't wait to see what kind of adventures we have on our bikes this summer!

How are you feeling about summer break?  How are you going to make it through the season without loosing your mind?