School's (not quite) out for summer.

Summer is so beautiful around here. We get out on the lake a LOT and it's so much fun. Just the fresh air and the water and the sun shining, it's pretty great, honestly. It's a rough life when I think about it - the weekends - anyway. Wanna see?

Gorgeous, right?

I know - I know it is. And how I wish we could be out there all day every day. But summer isn't like that and my husband kind of has to work. I mean - he could skip out - but then we'd have a problem, I'm sure. Or maybe a few ...

But summer is awesome in so many ways. And kind of scary in others.

And so I can't decide if I'm more excited for school to be over than my daughter is ... but I do know that I just might be more terrified.

Here's a little bit about why:

Pro:

NO. MORE. HOMEWORK.

Hallelujah.

Con:

Nothing. I got nothing.

Pro:

Sleeping in!

Con:

Nope. None here, either. Though I probably won't sleep in all that much. We do have two dogs and all. I should probably help my husband with them in the mornings, right?

So, these two things seem pretty awesome, don't they? They totally would mean every and anything to any sane parent and should outweigh any not-so-great things we might have to deal with, sure. I mean - what IS my problem, you might ask. Stay with me. It's coming.

Pro:

No more creating enticing portable lunches!

Con:

EVERY.SINGLE.MEAL. Of the day. At home. And snacks.

Pro:

No more "required" reading.

Con:

Right now I've been asking her for about forty minutes to find a book and read it so she can do her homework assignment. Pick a book - ANY book.

She can't find one. In the possible hundreds of books she has in her room she wants to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Yes. I don't know why I have kept all the old books, either. They were sort of helpful when she first started really reading on her own. Gave her an accomplished feeling. And the nostalgia. That's there, too.

And fine. I'm a book addict. I just can't seem to give them away. So there. I said it.

Pro:

More time together. I'm really honestly looking forward to this. I am. I miss her in the not-quite-fall when school starts around here. I do. It's a tug at the heartstrings when she starts her next grade. And so I'm happy to have time together - where we can do whatever and have fun.

Con:

SO much time together. She's bored. She's hungry. She wants me to play tea party with water in little ceramic cups that taste awful and Nerds in a small cup for snack. Nerds from like two Halloweens ago, I'm pretty sure. I'm not always up for tea party, man. I'm just not.

Am I an awful mom for saying so? Nah. Just keepin' it real.

Saying these things doesn't make me a mean mom or a bad one. It doesn't mean I don't love my child. It *might* mean that I enjoy some quiet time where there isn't noise surrounding me or balloons being tossed about. Seriously, who invented balloons, people? Because I need to have a word with him. Yeah - I feel that it's a him. I just know it. Grrrr.

This summer my daughter will be spending some time away from me. I'm honestly terrified of that upcoming experience so I have decided not to talk about it at all right now. I'm sure it will be fine, but hush. Don't ask and let's just pretend I didn't say anything, okay?

She'll also be headed to day camp for a week. Maybe a second week, because I think with all of the time we have "free" I might just want to sign her up so she has more fun. Maybe. Possibly. We'll see.

Some might say I should consider year-round school. Nah. Not feelin' it. I'm a traditional calendar kinda' mom.

Even if it means I may have to talk to my doctor about upping my medication a little.

You probably laughed there. I did, too. And yet there's always some truth in jest, isn't there? Just a little?

I'm linking up with Shell over at Things I Can't Say today. Her Pour Your Heart Out post this week is pretty much the opposite of what I just wrote here, and I think that's interesting. Maybe it is entirely about the ages. Maybe it's because she has three and her kids can entertain one another? Maybe it's because I don't drive and that totally cramps my "entertain my kid" style?

And to wrap up my night, and my post, I've included my latest Instagram share.

Me.

Hours after this post first began.

After dinner - sort of.

After a small break - sort of.

And not quite completely after homework.

It was still going on when I took this selfie. STILL. GOING. ON.

So. Yeah. This is mommy's homework face.

Maybe summer won't be so bad after all ...

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