Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

I've seen people participate and I've thought about participating from time to time but never quite got around to it myself. This week, however, I am taking the time to be a part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. The 'prompt' I chose was "What summer means to your family."

This is really the perfect prompt after these last few weeks. Summer is in full swing. The kids are not going to summer school, which is a nightmare blessing in disguise, and Kris and I are barely able to see one another, let alone have any real conversation that isn't done over the phone with kids screaming in the background or via Google Talk while we are working.

To me, summer means chaos.

Summer means not seeing my husband.

Summer means less routine and no structure (poor parenting at its finest), which in turn leads to even more chaos in my house.

Summer means I should not have gone off of all my medication, or at the very least that perhaps I should consider going back on it until school starts again.

Summer means odd work schedules. Me working long days in the office on Monday and Thursday. Kris in the office the remaining days. On our off days, still trying to put in 8 hours from home. Or, like today, me covering for our onsite liason (in Fenton MO) for 7 hours and then driving to our downtown office and putting in another 5 hours.

Summer also means HOT. I hate hot. I hate humidity. I hate having vehicles that are old and can't stand up to the heat.

Summer ultimately means one cranky momma, who will complain at the drop of the hat (what's new?) about every little thing. It means that the tension in my neck is never-ending, making the pain almost unbearable.

Yet...

It also means that I have spent another year married to my best friend.

It means that a few days a week, if I can tear myself away from the craziness of trying to work while my kids CONSTANTLY ask me things like "When can we eat breakfast?" or "When can we have a snack?" or by 10:30am, "When can we eat lunch?" (all to which I reply "Eat whatever you want as long as you can get it for yourself!"), I could actually spend some time enjoying my kids.

It means that three days a week, I don't have to (but should) get up before 8am. The kids know to go downstairs and watch cartoons between 7-8am and let whichever parent is still home sleep, or at least lay in bed pretending they can't hear the screaming and fighting and tattling.

It means that I've had the bittersweet privilege of watching my kids grow another year older.

It means that my favorite fall weather is not far behind. Fall makes me smile. It makes me ache for heaven. Not in a morbid sense. In the sense that fall reminds me of how awesome God is. It reminds me of the beauty of God's creation and fills me with peace and hope.

Summer reminds me that if I can just survive a little while longer, school will resume, work schedules will normalize, the leaves will begin to turn and fall will soon put things back into perspective for me.