Ahhhhhhh Summer Time - School's Out - Kids are home - the weather is nice-ish, sometimes, when it's not raining or we're not cowering in the basement because there's a tornado coming and oh my goodness we have to take cover right now!
As of right now we are three weeks into summer break and we have EXACTLY (ok approximately) 67 days left (this includes weekends - which I include because everything is summer now). I will again state categorically that I love my children very very very very very much and they all have endearing moments in which I remember that they will eventually be sane and reasonable and lovely people to be around on a consistent basis.
This is not that time.
To use an old trope, if I were in charge of the world I would abolish sibling rivalry. This is probably the biggest and most massive issue I have with summer break. So long as the kids are either a) occupied constantly with something interesting (read: impossible) or b) by themselves, then they are fine. If they are forced to be in the same room or the same breathing space for any period of time the result is arguing. ENDLESS ARGUING. They will argue about arguing
I also gather that I am not alone in this struggle and that other households across the country or at least across our town are dealing with similar madness and crazy inducing argumentation.
I literally just had to say "Guys, stop arguing!" as I wrote this line.
My disappointment with reality at this moment is that I always have grand ideals about what summer break will be like - which is always shattered by that pesky situation known as actual life with imperfect people.
I begin my visions of a perfect summer approximately two to three weeks before school lets out. This is when I say to myself - "Ahhh, this year....this year will be different!! There will be limits on media time. There will be specific hours dedicated to reading. There will be carefully planned and organized picnics and field trips and swimming because everything will be in harmony. You will practice your math and phonograms happily and willingly!! We will have chores! Yes, there will be chores!! You will do them happily and with smiling faces!! We will learn interesting things and become better people!"
My idyllic vision really doesn't take long to be shattered. Unsurprisingly.
REALITY:
Day 21: Start day with children on a too loud computer/tv which wakes me up at 7:30 which is my equivalent of sleeping in. Children then spend about half an hour arguing about how they will play their imaginary game together. I have to tell eldest child that there will be no Iron Chef, playing mass (I know this is good but it involves avoiding playing with his sister), or competitions (their games always wind up being some kind of competition in which he decides who wins - aggravating his sister to no end). Eldest helps little brother play XBox games while sister complains that eldest is not playing with her. Sister asks the other two if they will watch the Madeline DVD from the library - result tv quiets the beastly arguing for the duration of Madeline. Madeline to the rescue!!
Also, baby is still sleeping because he was inexplicably awake until 11:30 last night - which is utterly indicative of how sleep for everyone has been thrown off since break started.
This probably means that he will have a strange sleep schedule today too - huzzah!!
So that's a snapshot - imperfection.
Oh we've managed to sneak in academics here and there and there's been some T-ball and summer reading and walks to the library. Far from perfect, but embracing the imperfection and doing the best with what we've got is kinda the moral to the story eh?
So your takeaway from reading about my struggles today is that if you have a houseful of arguing kids and your summer is not the perfect idyllic vision that you might have had in your head - it's ok. Mine is not either. You are not alone! And don't worry there's only 67 days left and then fall and school and all of that will jolt us back into schedules and order and glorious Mondays which come after busy, messy weekends - Mondays where the house is quiet-er and there is a chance to restore order.
I wish you a happy and imperfect summer! Enjoy the argument-free moments and hang on tight, it's going to be a wild ride.
