It’s mid-July. We are three weeks from School registration and just over three and a half weeks until the chaos gremlin, I call my child, returns. The house looks like a tornado hit it twice. Everything I did yesterday has been dismantled before my feet hit the floor. The kid is running his own personal water park out of my bathroom tub. He’s contained and at least the water isn’t all over the bathroom…. YET…. I’m sitting here with a Red Bull and Cigarette wondering if I have the energy to deal with this shit today. NEWS FLASH: I’m going to go with a NO.
The Olympics of DVD/ T.V. swaps haven't begun yet and snack demands, which he doesn’t either know or hasn’t realized is in the house, will begin promptly after I shut the water park down along with a fair amount of screaming. I’m three sips into a Watermelon Red Bull trying to remember what the last thing I’ve actually eaten was. Spoiler: It was a Veggie Pizza around 7pm last night. The same pizza I left a little more than half of to find completely gone this morning. (HUSBANDS)
Let's be crystal clear about a few things. Summer breaks used to be this magical thing when we were kids. Popsicles, bike rides, staying up late, sleeping in until 11-12:00 and off we go again. Getting into all kinds of things with God knows who. As long as we were back before the streetlights came on and checked in with at least one of twelve adults that day, we were square. And by check in, we called home and left a message on the answering machine, stopping by Grandpa’s for lunch.
Now? Now it’s an unpaid, unrelenting full-time job where the boss is 9 years old, has zero chill, and apparently doesn’t need sleep like the rest of us. And that’s only if you're a SAHP like me. Some of y’all got it much worse, with having to figure out childcare to keep your kids so you can still work. It isn’t easy for either side of the coin. One side there is no escape, and the other well you have to pay to escape, and that is a not so pretty penny.
Summertime is supposed to be this time for families. It's a time we plan for all the wonderful things we are going to do with our kids to create all the memories. It’s what some of us look forward to every year, just to have that little thing called reality smack you in the face like a hallway bully looking for your lunch or lunch money.
Everything is expensive. Between gas, logging, and food… you just spent a third to half your budget. Then driving to your destination with everyone screaming. That’s enough to make you rethink your life choices. OH, and let's talk about ticket prices for anywhere you want to go… I didn’t have time to sell a kidney, Sharon.
I know what a lot of you are going to say “hey certain things are free.” And you're right. The park is free. Most of the splash pads are free. And going to the lake or river is free. You still have to afford at the bare minimum snacks and gas. With this heatwave and never knowing when it is or isn’t gunna rain, we stay home. Where the Laundry is Exploding, the Dishes are Constant, and my Sanity is On life support and waiting for someone to read them last rights.
Meanwhile, I’m still trying to write books, market them, edit chapters, keep a blog alive, and build a damn business. Oh and remember to brush my teeth and not live off caffeine and passive aggressive rage. Some if not most days, I fail spectacularly. But here’s the truth I’ve had to choke down with my lukewarm coffee with the mantra: being overwhelmed doesn’t mean I’m failing. Playing on damn repeat. It means we are doing too damn much without enough backup.
So if you’re like me right now. Juggling kids, house, life, deadlines, and a brain that’s hanging on by a thread. I see you. And I promise you’re not alone. We’re surviving. Some days barely. But it still counts.
You don’t need a cape unless you know where Harry left the invisibility one at. You don’t need to be superhuman, Even Superwoman needed Superman's Soul. You just need to keep going, Shoulders back tits up and a growl that would make your book boyfriend bow.
You got this and even if you don’t. Well, it's fine… everything is fine… the world is on fire,
but it was on fire yesterday so its fucking fine. Breathe. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to keep them from playing with matches and burning the house down. As long as the house is still standing, you have all kids/ pets accounted for, and no one is bleeding. That's a win.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and stop the 3rd not kid approved movie from starting today and pray there’s enough clean laundry for everyone to wear shorts/pants. Be Kind to yourself. And it is completely acceptable to hide in the laundry room and pretend you have to “FIX” the washer and or dryer.
What’s your summer survival strategy? Drop it in the comments. And if yours involves snacks, caffeine, and hiding in the bathroom for five minutes of peace, same.
Remember Be Brave, Be Bold, but Always Stay Humble.
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