Summer Fridays
So many of you chimed in on Wednesday’s thread about what the hell we’re doing for summer childcare (and summer fun?) and I’m enraged anew at how much mental space is gobbled up to get through June, July, and August. Not to mention financial stress!
This week, my ten-year-old and eight-year-old did a soccer camp from 9-12. The camp is 20 minutes away, and Brett and I split pick-up and drop-off responsibilities, but even still, we’re looking at two hours and twenty minutes of big-kid-free time. Our four-year-old has gone out on adventures three mornings this week with our wonderful babysitter, but returns at 1 for naptime, which takes roughly 45 minutes-an hour depending on how much of a power struggle he feels like investing in.
My older kids require rides to and pick-ups from friends’ houses in the afternoons, and for some reason, many summer camps end on Thursdays? So they’re home today. We’re going to a toy-store at some point for birthday gifts. They will require multiple meals. They will likely fight about “my seat.” They will tell me they’re bored.
My oldest son does all-star baseball, which . . . anyone out there have a kid doing all-star baseball? IT IS A WHOLE THING. He has had either practice or a game 6 out of 7 nights this week. One of their tournaments is an hour away?!?!? Brett is one of the coaches on this Very Important MLB team, and he and my oldest often aren’t home until 9PM or sometimes (gulp) later, which has left me responsible for bedtime with the younger two. And holy shit, I’m fucking tired. OH and Harry got neutered recently so.
In the spirit of trying to accept that my work hours this summer will be unreliable, jumbled, and sometimes non-existent, I’m taking this Friday off from the summer camp I’m enrolled in, which is called Summer Parenting in the US.
I’m an educator and am off this summer, along with my 8 and 11 year-olds. I have never put so many miles on our car as I am this summer. Different camps, activities, driving to friends’ houses... they are having the time of their lives, and by the time it’s bedtime for me, I barely functional.
maybe a swim??