End of Summer

This is it, the end of summer.  Usually, I am so thankful for the beginning of the school year. 

Even though I am required to pack Marie her lunch every day and take Thomas to preschool a few times a week, it feels like a break.  Probably because I'm not monitoring the delicate balance between how many episodes of Full House (Marie's show) versus how many episodes of Annoying Orange (Thomas's show) were watched at one time while frantically trying to get school work done.

But I do not feel this intense relief that summer is over.  In fact, I am sad since I wasn't savoring this season.  Between moving and accepting additional responsibilities in an already new job, I felt that I was balancing more than normal.  I have written a few posts at Detroit News MichMoms about these feelings here and here.  
   

I never felt like I struck the right balance; it felt more like a seesaw.

We went from this extreme

Pool time at the gym before swim lessons

Pool time at our neighborhood pool

To this extreme

Unlimited amounts of screen time.  Breakfast in front of the TV? Yes.
Lunch while the TV is on? Absolutely. When asked about Marie's
screen time at her well checkup, I may have just added up the hours
and divided by two to get a more desirable number.

Because of this

I got this all worked out, and now will proudly update my LinkedIn profile with
PowerPoint presentations as my new super power.

What can I say – this summer was all about transitions and none of them were seamless.  I felt it was extremely challenging to be present, and I torment myself with guilt that I could not focus more on the kids for the finite amount of time they are home for the summer.  However, here is a positive thing I can say about summer: it was so fast and furious that I think the beginning of the school year will feel easier.

How are you feeling about the end of summer?  Are you excited?  Sad?

Pool Time

Pool Time

We have been clocking in a lot of pool time, which in theory, would seem like a relaxing way to spend the summer.

Growing up, I had a pool, and I vividly remember the feeling carefree as frolicked in the water.  I remember nagging my mom to look at each and every acrobatic trick I did in the water, and then requested an in-depth analysis of my performance.  After seeing a movie with Esther Williams in it, I was pretty sure I was destined to be a synchronized swimmer.  

Between spending every day in the pool along with a never-ending supply of popsicles, life just seemed like a vacation, really.

But working behind the scenes at the pool as a parent is a *totally* different experience.  

First of all, Thomas and Marie are at different swimming levels which means that they are never together.  I feel like my head is on a swivel as I try to watch them both at the same time.  It doesn’t help that there is not a lifeguard at our neighborhood pool, either.  So for the duration of the time at the pool, this the frantic monologue scrolling on a never-ending loop in my head:

• OK, Marie is over there, and Thomas is right in front of me.

• Wait, is that the mom that lives down the street from me?  And she has a little boy Thomas’s age?  We should exchange info for a playdate. 

• Marie wants me to throw the diving rings.  Yes, Thomas can throw them, too.  Oh no!  He just about hit that lady in the head with a ring.

• How long have we been in here already?  Hours?  No, just 20 minutes.

• Wait, where is Marie?  Oh, over there.  OK.

• Thomas wants to jump in?  Yes, this is so exciting!  Wait!!  The tubes in his ears!  

• Are they dehydrated?  Maybe they need some water?

• Is that my kid screaming?  Thank goodness, no.

• I am disturbed by the joy Thomas gets out of splashing me, yet almost pulls my tankini top down when he uses it to dry off any little sprinkle of water that may come in contact near or around his general eye area.

• We are turning red.  It is time for more sunblock.  The dreaded sunblock.  Slathering this stuff on is *almost* as bad as struggling with a snowsuit.

End scene.

I love how all this pool time tires them out.  I worry less about screen time knowing we have clocked some serious active time.  We have been outside more these past two weeks than we have been all last summer.

But I am tired after the pool, too.  Like ridiculously tired.  Laundry is an afterthought.  I have not cooked a real meal in weeks; I am assembling ingredients and calling it dinner.  I am getting work done in the early morning hours or late into the night.  

Although this unlimited pool time has been fun, I am not sure it is sustainable.  I may have to dig deep into my Pinterest pins about creating some kind of rhythm to ensure we don’t all implode due to summer burnout.

Do you have access to a pool or some other body of water?  How do you hang there and get a minimum of stuff done around the house?