Back to school...

Summer is certainly a time for relaxing and enjoying warm sunny weather and lazy mornings. 

Unless you have kids.

We all think that summer is going to be a welcome respite from our usual hectic schedules but for all of us who are parents or caretakers of kids, we know there is no such thing.  In fact, summer tends to be the time we are the busiest. 

Whether you are a stay-at-home or working parent, your days are filled with shuttling your kids or arranging rides to and from various theme parks, friend's houses, camps, summer school, the mall~the list is endless. 

You see, kids-at least the smaller ones-don't know the meaning of "slowing down and taking it easy."  They are rip-roaring and ready to go as soon as they wake up, at least the ones under age 10.  The older ones are content to sleep until noon and then, just when you are ready for a nap they are asking for a ride or to have friends over (I might be speaking from personal experience here...)

This is where I am caught in the cross hairs of a very loaded shotgun.  You see, my children are nine years apart...yes, nine years.  We did this on purpose, to a certain extent.  We started out with the intention of having our kids about three years apart but then three became five and five became seven and then the ole' biological clock started not just ticking but rather POUNDING and well...I wanted another baby.

This took some convincing on Chris's part because our life had gotten so very easy.  We were traveling again, our nights were filled with peaceful sleep and diapers, wipes and high chairs were looooonnnnnng gone.  Or so we thought.

There was a bit of a baby boom among my friends and I wanted to hop on board the mystery ship.  What, with turning 35, the illusion of running out of time was on the forefront of my mind.  I was also graduating from college after the better part of 15 years and really, school was one of the reasons we had waited to have a another crumb cruncher. 

Turns out, I happen to be pretty lucky in the fertility department (which, incidentally I am very grateful for) and got pregnant almost immediately~a graduation present if you will.

So when my daughter was born nine months later, we became a family of four.  Well actually seven if you include the dogs and hamster...wait I think the hamster was dead.   Well six I guess.  Anyway, we were blessed to complete our family with 2.0 children (who gets a .5 kid anyway).

Now here I am, staying home with my kids, probably busier than I have ever been in my life.  My heart and respect goes out to those women that work and have kids because it's tough any way you slice it.  If you aren't the one driving them around, you are arranging for them to be driven.  Schedules and classes and friends!   Ugh~it's enough to make you want to scream sometimes. 

With one kid in 7th grade and one in preschool, I am starting to see the light again and this train is chugging along just like the "Little Engine That Could."  I have at least 15 more summers ahead of me but hey, this is what I signed up for, right?  Didn't we all?

This is really what it's all about and the time is surely fleeting.  I mean, look how fast this summer went?

When our kids head back to their classrooms, that's the time that we actually get a break, until Christmas vacation at least! 

And, like the sound of enchanted melodies from our favorite musicians, to most of us parents hearing the phrase "back to school," never sounded so sweet.