Two Weeks In

As a kid I obviously couldn't wait for summer break. Vacation seemed to be endless, especially in elementary school. It seemed months had passed by the time the Fourth of July would roll around. Fireflies would light up the hot summer sky and cool reprieve would only be found from a wet wash cloth and a box fan jammed into my bedroom window. Central air conditioning was only for the families that lived on Betsinger Road, at least I assumed they had air conditioning. Growing up we had one lone air conditioner that cooled the main portion of our living area. We would close off the other rooms, either chilling with our parents (literally) or roasting in the privacy of the living room.

We are two weeks into the throws of summer vacation in these parts of the country. We have survived the first two weeks...well not even a full two weeks if I am being honest. We got off to a great start; both Nonie’s pitched in and helped get through the first wacky school/work week. And then came the first day of true vacation, and we got off with a BANG! By 9 am both kids had been sent to their rooms (this usually is the precursor to a great behavioral day...) just as a reminder that barbaric, brutish behavior really wasn't welcome at home....I know I am SO lame! After a trip to the library, park, play date, lunch, cooking endeavor and mandatory rest time (thank you Aunt Kell for such a brilliant suggestion) "we're bored!!!!" spewed from their overtired mouths.   Don’t worry I didn’t cave and put on the blessed TV. (although I wanted too).  I held my ground and said what every mom tells her to be 2^nd grader and kindergartner the first real day into summer vacation, “We do NOT get bored…and if you ARE bored, you can reorganize your dresser drawers, stuffed animals or books!”  I proceeded to remind them they could play with the hundreds of toys they own, read the gazillion books we have or ride bikes, etcetera - etcetera!   Amazing, they stopped fighting and went outside to play on the swing set.  Thank God Aaron rescued me only a few hours later.

The following week went off without a hitch! Mainly because of Morgan the babysitter extraordinaire! I never knew how much I could love working AND summer! Just enough to miss my kids and still have time to play and do the fun stuff too; it is a win-win-win situation! We still head to the local pool almost daily and as I bribe my kids to take their swimming lessons, I think back to what only seems like yesterday, and wonder why my mom never had to bribe me to take lessons. My only conclusion is back then we were too hot to argue, I mean summer meant HOT. Now, thankfully, for central air, we never get HOT. I guess I could go without air conditioning…NAH, I’m not sure my marriage or children would survive.