Summer - Week 1

This is it - all my chickadees have returned to the nest! They are getting an extra long summer too (13 weeks) due to our upcoming move from Mississippi to Washington DC. School lets out early here in the South, but starts back about a month later up North. It is HOT here, and I'm sure it will only be getting hotter. I am impressed that the heat and humidity have had no impact what so ever on the energy level of my children. I have to force them to drink water, and to come inside during the hottest part of the day. As for me? I could use a nap. Preferably in a hammock with a cold glass of lemonade. I won't lie - it has been a trying few days. Back when I was homeschooling, it always baffled me when other homeschooling moms would talk about their friends with kids in the dreaded public schools. They'd make fun of them for griping about excessive amounts of snow days, or the long days at home in the summer. They'd finish by saying how sorry they felt for the children...whose mothers obviously didn't want them around. I feel like that is so unfair! I love my children and enjoy my time with them...as I hope most mothers do. You just get used to whatever your "normal" is. When your usual schedule is having your older kids out of the house for part of the day, then that becomes very comfortable. The same was true when I had all four kids home full-time. I grew very used to the freedom we had in our days. I don't think one option has been easier than the other either. Just different. Then of course any sudden change in the routine takes some getting used to.

For me the biggest change so far is having four kids in the backseat every single place I go. My radio is also broken, so I get to listen to all their conversations. We live thirty minutes outside of town, and they tell me *knock knock* jokes the entire time to and from the store. They are also not quite old enough to know how *knock knock* jokes work. That either makes them more hilarious or more mind numbing depending on my mood - which typically is directly correlated to the amount of sleep I got the night before.

In other news, there are now four kittens living in my closet. This is in addition to the two adult male cats we already have- a surly 21 pound old man and a playful (and crazy) one year old tuxedo. We had five kittens, but one has already been adopted. If you live in South Mississippi (or Alabama!) and want a sweet new baby kitty let me know. I do not have the mama. I am just fostering them and hoping to find them homes. We are going to keep the last one who is left for our own family. My kids of course are over the moon. They require no other activities or entertainment....it's just kittens, kittens, kittens from the time they get up to the time they go to bed.