Summer has an amazing power over me. My normally organized daily and weekly rhythm falls apart completely. It unravels into a tangle of hours spent who-knows-where doing who-knows-what until I glance up at the clock to realize that it's dinner time and I'm looking at a raw chicken. I forget to wash and hang the clothes. I forget to clean the house. To sweep. To vacuum. To tidy. I forget entirely to run this house in some mildly sensible manner.
Yesterday was one such day.
Lupine had dinner on her "table" and her babies fed before I had sauteed the onions for ours. I take this as a hint that she's hungry and I'd better step to it.
I had grand plans for my favorite chicken soup. With ginger. Lime. Cilantro from the garden. But then the sun came out and the kids asked to go for a bike ride and Lupine wanted to ride her scooter bike all the way downtown… and hours disappeared. At 6:00 (an hour after we usually eat) I fed them popcorn with cheese on top while the half-cooked chicken simmered away. (We'll have that soup tonight.)
And so today the question is: lose myself in summer once again or clean my house, pack for our upcoming vacation, and be "sensible and boring" and I described it to one friend – or head to the lake and forget it all for another day?
I know what you're going to say, but you haven't seen my laundry pile lately.
LOL! Yesterday was a popcorn (to tide them over before super) day for us too! Seriously! We haven’t done that in a loooong time. We started to make the little gnomes around the candle…fun! Thanks for sharing the idea!!
Awesome. Im not the only one with a wonky schedule. Happy summer, lady!
Rachel
No, actually I would say spend that day taking care of your home. It’s all good, in balance. Some days and blocks of time for living summer and other times for managing the responsibilities of life.
True, true, Renee. But this summer has been so filled with the sensible (and the rain) that it may be hard to resist!
🙂 Rachel
I guess I’m just ‘sensible and boring’. Plenty of time for both (although I admit that cleaning & laundry is sometimes at night after everyone is in bed), and a well cared for home makes my boys able to manage the chaotic busy life filled times. But that is just me. ;P
Okay, get the laundry done in the am, at least the essentials. Then get out. Your dinner’s cooked, right? If not then popcorn (we do it too) or some toast with that lovely jam you made. Enjoy!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that happens too :). You’d think the house would be more organized as we spend more time outside, but it always seems that we come home to a messier house than we left… how is that possible :).
I vote a day at the lake!!! Summer is short and there is always time to clean 🙂
Yes, it seems as soon as I get a schedule going, the season changes and I’m all thrown off again! Oh well. I say go to the lake! You only live once right?
I made a list of what I NEED to do to stay sane-one thing a day vacuum or laundry or clean the bathroom and one job for kids then each day I know I have gotten one thing done-keeps me sane-losing my rhythm in summer is the worst part of summer-for me anyway a list making crossing off maniac type person-now I can keep perspective on what’s really important-not a clean house but good life with my family–I blogged my quasi meltdown too-it helped to hear from others who were suffering too–cheers!
the days of motherhood are long
the years of motherhood are short
just one more thought 🙂
It’s amazing how your posts seem to match up with exactly how I’m feeling at the moment…thanks so much for sharing!
Meg,
You got it!
~ Rachel
Kim,
Thats how I feel too. Im so on my game when the schedule is fresh. Do I thrive with change?
~ Rachel
Melissa,
Its so true. I think perhaps because we leave in such an enthusiastic hurry. Messy = living around here.
~ Rachel
Laura,
My one task per day schedule crashed and burned quickly. My one room per day hung on for longer (right up until summer!). It helps to break it into bites, but when I get derailed its hard to jump back on…
~ Rachel
Allison,
Glad this place is resonant for you. Were all on our own versions of the same journey…
~ Rachel
glad to know summer does that to more than just me… but, there’s plenty of time for all the rest of that when the weather gets colder again. good grief, it is already july 1st! how did that happen??? and here’s a shocking confession to make all the other mama’s feel better about themselves: all-too-recently we had popcorn for 3 nights in a row after getting a new popcorn maker. yikes. but it has fiber right!?!?!?
Summer is a hard time for keeping your regular rhythm. I love popcorn nights. In fact, I grew up (and still do it to this day) with Sunday night popcorn dinners.
Emmy,
Clearly I am from Mars. Until 6:30 it never occured to me. As a kid crisis night was pancakes or scrambled eggs at my house. Never popcorn! (The scandal!)
~ Rachel
Andrea,
Thats some fiber, mama. Three nights straight is Olympic popcorn consumption! Way to be in the moment. 🙂
~ Rachel
We have had popcorn-for-dinner nights here, too. Sometimes it’s just all that will quickly satisfy. While a well-kept home is nice…memories and time spent enjoying your children is way more important to me.
That, and our vacuum belt broke yesterday and I can’t find the long screwdriver to fix it.