Busy Busy Busy

I keep thinking that summer is for slow days doing fun outings, nothing too strenuous, just having fun with the kids while school is out and there are few truly scheduled activities. What I'm realizing is that, while we are having lots of fun, it's not slow (for me, at least)! August was supposed to be my month to have lazy mornings, a few fun activities, and just bum around. So far it has been our busiest month yet. I'm exhausted! We've been on the go constantly, with only a few of those slower days I thought I'd be able to enjoy. I guess it's better for the kids this way, they seem to be having a blast. But it makes for a long day for me and I'm practically falling into bed each night after almost falling asleep on the couch wondering where the day went and when I'm going to be able to get around to all those household chores that are going undone. Ah well, I guess it's summer for me too, not just the kids. And I'm trying to give myself the permission to relax on a few of those neurotic needs I have to keep things tidy and relatively clean around the house. Making dinners is still one of the hardest parts of the day, simply because I want to keep everyone outside playing until the last possible minute to come in and eat. It's been too beautiful outside to be indoors, but dinner must be made and the magic "dinner fairy" isn't actually going to come and provide dinner for us, so alas, we must run inside and go through a frenzy of food preparation to put a meal on the table, preferably something the kids will eat at least 5 bites of. And then back outside for more playing, walking, or just chilling with some neighbors. It's been a wonderful summer so far and I'm sad to see it drawing to a close already, but I'm also intending to fully enjoy the last few days and weeks of it before we must succumb to daily routines again.