here comes summer

I am looking over all the papers I have gotten recently for summer activities for the children. It is amazing to me all the options! I overheard another mom at school today talking about girl scout camp. That sounds like fun. S wants to learn to play lacrosse. M wants to do field hockey. They both play soccer and take ballet during the school year. S wants swim lessons, presumable to have access to a pool this summer. M loves to draw and has asked about painting classes. How will I decide what activities will be worth the money and time driving back and forth. I don't want to over schedule them, they need free time, play time, time to be bored so they can see what their own imaginations can cook up. I like them having interests and a structured time to learn something new, but I also like the idea of lazy, fun play dates with friends and just hanging out together while they still want to hang out with me. The girlies are 6 and 8 so my days are numbered, I know. Pretty soon I'll be Mother(as in Oh, Mother -with an eye roll), instead of Mommy(as in I love you Mommy, you are so smart, so pretty, so awesome Mommy). S tells me that "I rock!" I love that:)

We also have travel plans to Cleveland near the 4th of July and VBS with our local church in June. Grandma wants a chance to spoil them for a few days this summer too! I am looking at the calendar and feel like if I start to schedule a few things, pretty soon the whole summer will be over. I am really looking forward to the summer. I am tired of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at 7am. I am tired of nagging to finish homework and rushing them around like a really mean warden. I am looking forward to movie nights, camping out in the backyard, dinners with friends during the week, later bedtimes, catching fireflies, making snow cones, tagging along to the pool with friends, and anything else we think of.

On top of all that, I am trying to find a job after 8 years of being at home with my girlies. I was a teacher before and like those hours, snow days, and summer vacations, especially now that I am a mom. I have gone this long without putting my children into day care, I would really hate to have to do it now. So I hope that if a job comes my way I'll be able to juggle the work and my family without either suffering too much. I am out of practice, my multi-tasking skills have fallen away while I haven't needed them. Being a stay at home mom is really awesome. I encourage anyone out there to try it. Once you get past the sleep deprivation and screaming toddlers, it is really fun! I have enjoyed that last 8 years a lot. My girlies are so important to me, much more than a paycheck, a summer vacation, or a bigger house. Now that both of my girlies are in school this year, I have had a ton of time to volunteer at the school and the church. I have helped friends by watching their preschoolers when things came up. I have cleaned out my house of a lot of clutter. I have had time to read, watch movies on Netflix, and I have even taken a nap or two during the day when I have felt sick or tired. I ran errands without children begging for things and without that constant state of confusion. You know what I mean, right? The inability to focus on your list or needs at the store because you are trying to keep your children from touching everything, asking for everything, and rearranging everything. Even when they are behaving, just talking to me sometimes breaks my focus and I end up leaving without something crucial. I'm not blaming my lovely children, I know the problem is mine. I cannot seem to finish a sentence or retrieve the right word when talking, I am constantly saying that I gave all my brain cells to my children. So, re-entering the workplace may be quite difficult. I am trying to make the right decision, apply for jobs that will help our family out, not make things more complicated. I would like the extra money, the opportunity to use my skills and my college degrees for more than just 2 kids, the chance to show my girlies that you can be a mom and wife and employee/career woman. I know you can't have it all at the same time, but you can have a lot if you are willing to work for it, if your family is willing to make room for something new, and if you have the courage to try. You never know unless you try. Pray for me:)