Here at the Nirvana we are into week 3 of summer.
Yes, you read that correctly…week three.
Of course, I only have one child actually in school and he only goes part-time (with part time home school) so you would think…what’s the big deal? He is only home 2 1/2 additional days a week.
Well…I might have mentioned we are into week 3 of summer and I can testify that it is a big deal.
The schedule is different.
The sibling dynamics are different.
The demand for mommy entertainment is different.
For some crazy reason summer has been marketed to children as the time of pure bliss…
bubbles blowing in the wind.
children splashing in sprinklers.
cannon balls into pools.
running across the field of daisies into each others arms…well, maybe not that one.
Thanks summer. Thanks for the unachievable expectations. You must be related to Disneyland and Christmas.
I used to think that parents were just overachievers by signing up their kids for summer activities, summer camps, summer sports leagues and summer enrichment classes, but now I recognize this tactic as one of survival.
Why do I feel like I am barely surviving summer?
Well, it seems that two children can play nicely together. Quietly. Helping. Smiling. Laughing. Playing in harmony.
It appears from my extensive research that three children can NOT play nicely together. Noisy. Destroying. Screaming. Mocking. Playing in chaos.
Hmmmm…that might have been super neat knowledge to have before we went for child number three.
So, where two children would team up and find something industrious to do, three children stare at each other blankly and complain about how bored they are.
Idle hands are the devil’s playground. And in my experience the DEVIL’S PLAYBOOK only lists multiple variations on one play: HIT YOUR BROTHER.
OUCH!
*loud scream*
MOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMY!
Ahhhhh. The joys of motherhood.
I have taken up a counter-attack of energy expending activities. Outside. Inside. To the park. To the pool…well, since most schools around here aren’t out most the pools are still closed during the day, or so I thought.
Exasperated yesterday around 3 pm, I got online to find out what date our closest and most favorite pool would open. To my delight I read that it had opened over the holiday weekend…
We arrived at the pool before 4 pm.
Because I am a mom of action.
Because I am going to survive.
Take that summer!
We are at Walt Disney World for exactly 48 hours. 12 hours into our visit these words were uttered, in the middle of a park, “You ARE you going to have fun, dammit.”
I’m with weaselmomma, have another one! Of course you would then get a girl, and well that’s a whole different set of problems/issues – FUN! I keep telling Jenni that we’ll need to go for #8, to make things even again. 🙂 If looks could castrate! Luckily, son #1 thinks he’s leaving the nest, just in time for son #4/child #7.
LOL I was just about to post about THIS pool!
Although I have 3 the age difference makes it more like 2. No, 2 is not better. Like Soliloquoy said today, the fighting is going to put me in an early grave.
Good luck with that. Pools are good!
First, that is an AWESOME picture of Rhett!
Second, you have already been chastised for not making your friends aware of the pool opening, so I won’t go there….
Third, it’s SUMMER!!! Where’s the unicorns?
Today is DAY 1 of summer vacation over here. We’re all still in our pjs. But making a list of ‘SUPER FUN! Summer Activities’ so Mommy doesn’t lose her sh*t.
Gremlin goes back on 9/15. That’s three months and three weeks of FUN!
“Thanks for the unachievable expectations. You must be related to Disneyland and Christmas.”
*snort!!*
That is so, so true. I have five still at home, and it’s been a long summer already.
The weird thing is, we don’t need to get down to two to have peace. It seems that if we take one out of the mix (it doesn’t matter which one), it shakes up the dynamic and they all behave better.
Holly–feel free to email me. We are going crazy here too–how long til August?
Give into Blog Stedman’s demands of different kinds of mommy time, have #4. Problem solved. they can play with each other in sets of 2. Everybody’s happy, Especially Blog Stedman.
I love that picture! Whee! Splashy fun.
My two boys, if they’re at home together too long, tend to do the exact same thing. It is harder for three, though, I think – three is a difficult dynamic for any group.