Summer Days

When I picture summer, I picture long lazy days full of nothing to do but enjoy the sunshine. Our reality is always the opposite. We hit Memorial Day, celebrate the opening weekend of summer, and quickly launch into a crazy schedule jam packed full of stuff. Stuff, stuff and MORE stuff.

It's all good. It's full of friends and family, the pool, soccer, golf and tennis, backyard barbecues and graduation parties, concerts and festivals. All wonderfully fun stuff. It's just alot.

I get anxious when I look at my calendar and see it full. And each year, I promise, I swear, that this year I will learn to gracefully decline a few things here and there to preserve a few long lazy days of summer. It's June and my record is not looking so good. But I have hope for July. Really.

My addition of a tennis addiction has only further exacerbated our full schedule. I am playing tennis at least three times a week, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. This week, it's a lot more. It's five nights in a row of banging that little yellow ball across a court. Thankfully, most of the nights involve matches that start at 8:30 pm. This allows me to put the kids to bed before I indulge my inner tennis player. But it also means that I am putting in some long, late nights. I got home past 11 pm on Monday night and Tuesday night, after showering and unwinding from my match high, I went to bed past 1 am. I am tired. The type of tired that might allow me to doze at my desk.

On Tuesday, I forgot to set my alarm to get all of us up and out of the house to work and school. Chris is normally our morning guy, but he is traveling for work this week, leaving me to get through the morning rush alone. Aidan has to catch the bus at 7:25 am. At 7:20 am, Aidan woke me up from a very deep sleep.

"Mom? Mom? It's 7:20!" He said as he patted my back quietly.

I looked over and saw him already dressed in his school uniform. He had brushed his teeth and combed his hair. When he was sure I was awake, he smiled at me and said, "Brennan is still sleeping. Griffin is in his crib awake. Do you want me to go read to Griffin while you get up?"

I could have eaten that child whole such was my love for him in that moment.

We all made it up and out of the house in record time. I count it as a minor success that Aidan woke me up at 7 am this morning. I just might survive the mornings this week after all. At least until Chris gets home.