A Work-at-Home Mom’s Love/Hate Relationship with Summer

Counting today, there are 8 1/2 more days of school left. My kids are bursting with excitement. I am in a slight panic. Yes, I knew it was May and school would be out soon, but I didn’t let the reality sink in until this week. There are 8 1/2 more days of long stretches of peace and quiet to work and run errands and think and plan my business strategy. In 9 days, I will be in the throes of the “summer schedule,” which consists of trying to work with kids and around kids, or just put off work completely.

I seem to have established a love/hate relationship with summer. I look forward to it and dread it all at the same time! Here are a few reasons why.

What I Love About Summer:

1. Not having to worry about and stick to a schedule.

2. Not packing lunches.

3. No rushing around yelling at each other in the mornings.

4. Flip flops and no coats! Getting in the car is so much quicker.

5. Free movies and lunch with friends on Wednesdays.

6. Picnics at the creek, followed by long creek walks exploring new places with our feet in ice-cold water.

7. Afternoons at the pool.

8. Letting the kids stay up “late” to watch Wipe Out and America’s Got Talent.

What I Don’t Like So Much About Summer (Hate is such a strong word.)

1. Not having a schedule!

2. Making lunch for everyone. Stopping in the middle of the day to be a short order cook and then clean up makes packing lunches start to look like fun again.

3. Trying to have a business call while kids are fighting about what to watch on Netflix.

4. Working at night and in the early morning to make up for the time spent at the pool/creek.

5. Not having the house all to myself on a regular basis. I suffer from withdrawals of my precious quiet time.

6. Running errands with little people. “No, you can’t have that.” “Don’t touch that.” “Stay by me.” “Quit reading that magazine and get in line.”

7. Putting sunscreen on wiggly, resistant bodies.

8. Sweating.

While these lists are exactly even to make the blog symmetrical, I have to admit the things I love about summer far outweigh the negatives. I’m very lucky to be able to work with a flexible schedule so I can enjoy some of the fun activities of summer with my little ones. After all, they won’t be little for very long. And after eight years of this work-at-home thing, I’ve come to understand the routine. I will get what I have to do done in the summer months. The unnecessary things will wait until the kids go back to school. And while I often panic in August that I have a lot of things left undone, and my September is completely hectic and packed with work, it’s a small price to pay for eating popsicles on the porch with two of the people I love most in this world.

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Blending it Up
Blending it Up

Every blog has a different theme or purpose. For years I put off blogging because I couldn't find a theme. Then I decided on one: Write about whatever I want. And that’s what you’ll find here. Whether it’s an update on how my garden’s doing, goings on with my family, or thoughts on writing, editing, and working from home, this blog is where I share my views on life.

6 Responses

  1. I love your comments. Sounds like you’re doing well. I have a 3.5 year old now and 2nd one on the way, so I’m sure I’ll be in your shoes fairly soon.

  2. Love this Karen. I think you took the words right out of my mouth. I definitely have a love-hate relationship with summer. Yet I look so forward to it and I too am counting today.

    1. I LOVE the sounds, the smlles the feel of Christmas. Putting up decorations and driving around looking at lights while singing the carols on the radio/ipod. Spending time with my big crazy family playing games and watching Christmas movies together. I HATE that people (mostly adults rather than children) feel obligated to GET presents, make lists of what they want and turn it into the “stuff”. That’s NOT what Christmas is.

  3. Congratulations Jin! That is so exciting.
    And thanks Jane. I guess we never appreciate our alone time as much as when we’re mothers of young children!