Chores, Roaming, Pool, & Screens

Where are all my boring friends at? I see you, I get you. Hopefully, you'll read this post and think, "yeah, it's fun doing nothing special at all, isn't it?" Yes it is. 

Now, that Burl and Fern are full-swing in school, I'm reflecting on our summer. As we open our next chapter, I can't help think about the chapter we finished. The summer break chapter. If you know me in person or through the blog, then you know that I like to schlep my kids all over our area exploring what our region has to offer. Having small children hasn't slowed me down, but ramped up my drive to explore. Anything within an hour's drive is sacred ground. I'll find a trail to walk or a treat to eat anywhere and take my kids there. Until now. 

This summer I put our gear in neutral and coasted. Logistically, I couldn't figure out how to manage four young kids between naps, feedings, abilities, and my own personal sanity. I know that we will be back out there later but this summer was definitely on slow speed. 

I heard someone describe it as a 1980s summer. 

Yes! Perfect! Straight from my own childhood. 

So here were my personal margins:

-paper plates for lunch

-same lunch everyday

-pool time on the reg

-summer of savings (we didn't spend money on our activities, mostly)

-library

-harry potter 2, read then watch

-screens were more than allowed (sh! don't tell all those people doing all those studies on the effect of screens on children)

-roaming the neighborhood (as a family or big kids getting big privileges) 

-no social media (besides some light blogging on my part)

-new card games

-chores (the children learned quickly that complaining about chores earned more chores and they got very good at "yes ma'am") 

-my love of pen to paper was rekindled (journals, letters, notes, and doodles)

-and last but not least: lots of empty time where the kids figured out how to entertain themselves (go ahead and tell the people who do the studies, they love this!)

In many ways, it was the best summer of my life. Besides the dark cloud of Fern starting school, it was good. I got overwhelmed at times at the loud amount of chaos in the walls of my home and frustrated at the amount of toys that littered the floors, but I also held those negative feelings loosely and John and I got very good at laughing at ourselves. We do not say that this time goes by quickly, instead we say that it is a small, short time in our lives. We are good at seeing and knowing that this time of pouring out is a blip of time on the span of our lives. When it gets crazy, we get crazy a little, and most of the time we remind each other of the important work that we're doing. The tiresome, rich work (more rich than tiresome-always!)

We've landed back into our school hustle, and Burl and Fern are really enjoying their school days. While I remember this summer, I'm dreaming about next summer and asking "what else can I shave away? Do we really need a trip to the beach?" I've loved being at home with all four children doing nothing special at all. It's given me the gift of watching them grow on their own terms.