I love my children, but some days there is not enough duct tape on the planet to keep them in line. We have been out of school for two weeks and I have had enough of the whining, complaining and fit throwing that seems to come with not being on the school schedule.
Typically, just like my mother did when I was a kid, I spend the second half of the school year registering my kids for various summer camps and planning small vacations. However, this year has been different. During Christmas break, we moved from Maryland to Kansas, and just before spring break we moved from off-post to on-post housing. We were transitioning schools when information came out about summer camps and we were waiting to see if the five-year-old would qualify for extended school year due to his Autism Spectrum Disorder. What does all of that mean? Well, it means that they are registered for nothing this summer and I will be a puddle of goo by the time July rolls around.
Some weeks, I try to make the errands fun for me and for the kids - i.e. going to the bookstore, Target, Walmart or, dare I say it, Red Robin Restaurant. Other weeks, my lack of planning and patience sneaks up on me out of nowhere! So what am I to do? Do I "walk head on into the deep end of the river"? Not this time. I sent a message to a friend who has a daughter that is old enough to babysit, and she sent her daughter over so I could run a couple of errands - alone. There. I said it. Alone.
Never forget that we all become better mommies, daddies, spouses and friends if we have the chance to miss each other. That night, that sweet sitter not only "saved my life" but she probably also "saved" the lives of my children as well. If you can't afford to get a sitter or don't have access to one, I have taken my kids to Chic-Fil-A, where they have an enclosed playroom. Sit outside of the room while your kids play safely inside. You can see them, but you can't hear them. Another thing that I like to do is sit outside after the kids go to bed, especially if it has been a particularly bad day. I close the door to their rooms, and I sit right outside the front door. I read a book, have a glass of something or just sit. Sometimes, that small escape can "save your life".
Strength and Courage ... sby
