I feel the need to write something here, but all of my good somethings are still bad. They’re unfinished, at any rate.
Here’s the deal. Once my head cleared after this, summer started. Did you know the schools are very firm on that last day? No wiggle room there, friends. You must collect your children on the last day, and then you must keep them until school starts again.
I later edited this calendar, because it turns out that if you have a schedule-less mentality, you might almost forget to go to swim lessons.
Truthfully, summer has been great so far. With a few caveats. Namely…
There is not enough deodorant on the shelves of Target to handle the heat. I expect to have sweat pooling in the creases of my eyelids when I’m in spin class; I do not appreciate that level of sweat accompanying a trip from my back door to my car. (I promised myself that I would not spend all summer complaining about the heat. This is one promise I probably won’t keep; consider yourself warned.)
I love not having a school schedule, with daily drop-offs and pick-ups, and lunches to pack, and backpacks to sort. Also, I hate not having a schedule. It always takes a few weeks before we figure out our summer routine. (Please see the next caveat for a more detailed – and riveting – status update on our schedule-setting.)
I spent the first week of summer with an infection I called Coughing, Aching, General Misery, Fever, You Are Dying Disease. The doctor called it bronchitis. It was accompanied by a delusion-inducing fever that had me thinking I was the Countess of Grantham and all of my servants were plotting against each other, thereby neglecting their duties. Once I kicked the fever and accepted that I do not have servants (because that would be wrong), and that the only person willing to polish my chandeliers cheap lighting is, well, neither servant nor countess, we were squarely in week two of summer. I am behind schedule in developing a schedule.
In summary: hot, sick, no schedule. But summer is still pretty fun, even if my to-do list is not quite ever ta-done.
A note… I don’t really blog about blogging, but just as I felt I needed to write something here, I feel I should saysomething to my blogging friends: when you see the weird troll lurking for many hours on your site, it’s not a troll. I’m just catching up. I’ve read here and there, but mostly I’ve marked a lot – a lot – of stuff as to read. I’ll be by soon.
I wonder…
:: Am I the last person to start watching Downton Abbey? Anyone else have a bit of a crush on Mr. Bates?
:: How long does it take you to get in the swing of the summer schedule, or lack thereof?
Lapsed homemaker. Looking to hire a full-time housekeeper who will work for the sheer joy of a job well done and free coffee. Interested parties, DM please. 
So glad that you are feeling better Missy.
This summer I’m trying something new – I’m not doing a LOT of schedule changing. Of course, the kids don’t go to school everyday. And they are allowed to sleep in a little later and go to bed a little later BUT…
We still have swim team practice 5 days a week at 10, so we have to leave the house daily. Thus, I am trying to stick to my “school day rules” of no TV in the mornings until Friday. We still make our beds before we come down. And they get to play outside in the afternoons.
The only schedule to change has really been mine. I am now strictly working almost exclusively early mornings from home. So far so good. We’ll see… đŸ™‚
I think you’re smart to keep some consistency. As we’ve muddled our way through these first few weeks, I’ve found that rolling with it can be fun, but the kids do best overall if they know what to expect.
Oh the heat! I am living in a perpetual state of stinkiness. The only time I”m not stinky is from the time I get out of the shower until the moment I step out of the house. As luck would have it, this is generally a very short time.
I certainly hope all your summer illnesses are behind you. You deserve a few weeks without the chills. ; ) xoxo
Don’t we? Enough with the sickness!
Can’t wait to hear all about Hawaii. I have been looking at your pictures and feeling pangs of jealousy… đŸ™‚
I just finished season 1! Seriously — 7 episodes? But still, SO GOOD. And Yes, I do love me some Mr. Bates. How funny. Once again, you and I share a brain.
I am already hating summer. It’s the first year that I really feel like we need a plan, and I suck at planning and generally taking all three of my kids places. And spending money. o, I suck at being a summer parent. We joined the Y, but guess what? I don’t really feel comfortable taking all 3 to the pool by myself.
I found Mr. Bates in another show! Larkrise to Candleford. Not nearly as addictive as Downton Abbey, but Mr. Bates is just as cute.
We need to start a “Sucky Summer Parents” club. We couldn’t possibly be the only members.
I just started watching Downton Abbey (because I like to be on the tail end of everything awesome…for instance, I still haven’t committed to a pair of UGG boots and am thinking my Guess Jeans might still be in style…)
Yeah.
Getting into the swing of things takes me a while, too.
If that makes you feel any better.
p.s. Your blog posts are among my very favorites. Always. No matter when or how many. Always.
Those Guess jeans are bound to be back in – any day now! And thank you for such kind words. You know I feel the same way (about you, I mean… not about my own posts… I’m going to stop typing now).
No, you aren’t the last to start Downton Abbey, I’m pretty sure I am. Maybe now that Mad Men is over, I’ll have time to start. I’ll keep an eye out for Mr. Bates.
You have to watch it & let me know what you think!
Every time I see “Downton Abbey,” I read it as “Downtown Abbey.” And, while I haven’t seen the show, I’ve often wondered what could possibly be downtown in the time period they’ve set things, because, to the best of my knowledge, “towns” didn’t exist in the way we have them.
Then I hear that a character is “Mr. Bates,” and I chuckle. Because I’m 12, and will always be.
Anyway, about summer . . . I’m not sure how I’ll take it when my kids are in school. I mean, part of me loves the idea of them being creative without structure. But part of me worries about the amount that they long for TV, and then I think back to my own summers as a student, where there might not have been structure, but my days were arranged around game shows.
I’m really, really hoping for lots & lots of team sports for my kids. Or books — I’d have no qualms if my kids spent every day during their summer lost in written adventure (if they weren’t having their adventure, themselves, of course)
Mark refuses to stop saying “downtown.” And I just have to thank you for causing me to never look at Mr. Bates the same way again. We frequently live in a very 12-year-old state around here, but that one hadn’t occurred to me yet!
I feel the same about sports and reading. I’m all for a TV here and there, but in general I really hope they each find at least one sports activity they love, and can also entertain themselves with books. What’s the trick for making sure that happens??
I loved Downton Abbey and I can’t wait to watch season 2!! It really needs to get on Netflix now!
Summer schedule…. what is that exactly? Obviously we don’t have one. LOL!
We are so close to breaking down and paying for Season 2. We are not good at waiting around here!
The heat has been crazy here.
Downton Abbey – no crush on Mr. Bates, but I do like Matthew.
Today was 105! Absurd. I’ve given up on showering, and will just go swimming a couple times a day.