Our Over-Scheduled Summer - or, How I am Learning to Chill Out and Enjoy the Summer

Pretty hefty title considering that summer has only JUST STARTED, but just listen to what I did to my poor kids.

Bike camp took up all of our first week of summer, and I was warned to just let him relax when not in camp, so he can process. Sage advice, need to heed it more often. But this week we were off and running on our summer schedule. Now, when I was setting up the summer plans, I was soooo proud of myself. I think I mistook (again) a shit-load of activites for good parenting once more. Mornings at the day camp at Beaumont, then 30 minutes to choke down lunch and down to Grant Pool for swimming lessons (both kids), and then on Mondays and Tuesdays we dash over to the Artz center for speech and social skills, and then on Monday and Wednesdays, we still have martial arts for Isaac from 5:30-6:30. And on top of it, we would be starting our new Gluten-Free diet! Aren't I great! See how I keep my kids engaged through the summer!

Well, will let you know that this new summer schedule didn't even last one day. I think I made it to noon, and then it fell apart. I spent more time than expected adjusting Isaac to the Sun Day Camp (he attended two years ago, and the director remembered him and was so happy to have him back, and we are flying minus the inclusion services to see how it goes), and while he had fun in the end, I was on edge. By lunch time I was so proud of him for not becoming too anxious by the new routine, that I took him out to lunch (Pokemon toys at McDonalds, damn you marketing team!), and missed the swimming lesson. Oh well. We managed to get to everything else that day, but it was obvious there was a little burn out.

So here we are, day two of our Official Summer, and we have already dropped out of swimming until end of July. I can tell myself that it's too cold for the outdoor pool, but ALL of last summer was too cold and we still managed to splash around.

I remind myself that back in my day it was ok to sleep late in the summer and watch Scooby Doo while eating cereal, that I wasn't being shuttled off to camp and swim lessons every day. I need to relax, and let them too. Well, at least until I start to feel guilty again for not doing enough for them and start searching for openings in random Portland Parks and Rec classes...poor kids...