At the beginning of the week I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong around here. The children seemed unusually cranky and difficult, and I felt my patience slowly deflate. Well, not actually slowly. Not like those wilted balloons the day after a party. More like the balloons you take a pin to. That kind of deflate. The kind that explodes. Finally I said to Logan, "Look. I do not like the way you are talking to me lately. It's rude. What is going on with you?"
"I'm tired," she whined.
"Well then, go upstairs and take a nap, and don't come down until you can be nice."
At the bottom of the stairs she fell in a heap and cried, "I'm tired of school."
In truth, she loves school. She has had a terrific year. And then it hit me. Here at the Tea Party Place we are ready for summer. We are ready to get off the merry go round for a little while. Ready to put away the constant schedule pressure. Ready to lay back, take it easy and even be still; but old habits are hard to break.
A couple of days later I was talking to a few moms who were signing their kids up for a two-week musical theater summer workshop. My ears pricked up, and I felt that old horse pulling at her bit. I LOVE musical theater. I want my kids to LOVE musical theater. (And to you haters that think it's disconcerting when someone randomly bursts into song, don't even bother trying to change my mind. I'm hooked. If I could I would burst into song right now just to really make that clear.)
"Ooh. Maybe I'll sign Logan up. She would probably love something like--" Then I caught myself. No. Not this year, my little inner voice said.
This summer we are just going to be. We are going to do the things we want to do as we want to do them. That may mean we randomly burst into song once in a while, or maybe it will mean reading loads of books, or maybe it will just mean hanging around the pool a lot. The point is, I don't have a plan. And I'm going to make as few of them as possible. I'm going to listen to my inner voice and the voice of my children and give up my favorite horse on the merry go round for a season. Besides, I think they'll probably give it back to me in the fall anyway.
10 comments:
Sounds great! I wish we could come hang out at the pool with you too. The other day I was on your page and James walked up and said "are those our new cousins?" So sad that she doesn't have the true meaning of extended family.
p.s. She really wanted to play with her "new" cousins.
Brilliant. I love it. And I love that you were following guidance to do what is right for your kids. There isn't enough just 'being' in the world, anymore.
And can you believe it is really almost summer!!?
You Go Girl! Or, stay at home. Whatever you want! Sounds like a plan to me.
I will be sitting at home in an impoverished fashion, rolling pennies so we can go to the dollar movie theater.
Me too. We're signed up for NOTHING and I'm so happy about it. I wondered if I was doing my kids a disservice because so many other Moms seem to operate differently. I'm glad our inner-voices are the same. It brings comfort somehow :)!!!! You are such a great writer. I love your merry-go-round analogy and conclusion. Stop blogging and start writing for a parenting magazine where you'll get paid for your brilliance :)!
AMEN! I had decided the same thing (well having a new baby totally helped in that decision!) and feel rather peaceful about my choice to just BE! When I see everyone else running around, hither and yon, to all the "activities"... I will happily turn the page in my book, and pat myself on my back! :>)
I also love musical theater! I find myself often thinking "if my life were a musical right now, I would so sing THIS song, and then do a dance."
Kind of like in the movie Enchanted?! Yeah. I wish life were like that sometimes!
I so hear you! We are ready for summer!! But, I am interested in the theatre workshop...email me the info (or let me know the person to ask)...okay, I'm ready for summer but I am also a busy body..can't help it!
After 3 months of school my kids were so ready for a break. The "Drama Queen" even announced that her head was going to explode if she didn't get a break. (we switched from Year round to traditional) I really did not know how much I needed my kids to have a break from school till this year. We have had many "well days" where we stayed in our PJ's and just did whatever with all the other kids going off to school. It might be wrong but I miss my kids!! Spending a day with them just being is such a joy!!!!
I love Enchanted too - my kids cannot believe that I have watched it 20 times now. Bursting into song is one of my favorite things. It makes "The Man" crazy but I love it!!!
Me too... I have plans to not have plans.:) I feel it with all my kids. "My birds need to go back to their nest" Thats our motto by this point in the year. Maybe we can not have pland together:)
Is it bad if, when you burst into song, your TWO-YEAR-OLD tells you to stop?
I agree!
I think kids get so exausted having schedules all the time!
They are still little and just need time to play! I think in this day and age people think they need to over schedule their kids!
I know I'm exhausted and so are the kids when I do that...
SO we are just going to BE this summer too! :)
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