6.01.2011

I'm Thinking I Might be a Little Crazy...

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I swore off summer break several years ago. It didn't work for our family. Really, we don't follow the public school system's schedule in any other way, so why take a summer break? Ahem. Well, that wasn't the main reason. If I'm honest (which I try to be), it was to quell sibling arguing. My kids fight like...well, don't make me use a tired cliche...when they're not occupied. (Notice I didn't say "entertained." I refuse to entertain my children.) But I don't mind occupying their hands and minds. And in our world, that sounds a lot like "school."

So here we are, a week and a half post-review, and I still haven't started back to school yet. Instead, I'm luxuriating (is that even a word?) in my lazy mornings and second cups of coffee. I'm allowing my children to eat cake (it will run out eventually) and watch Gnomeo and Juliet in the mornings. (Well, at least this morning.) And maybe you love me for that! Maybe I'm your hero because I give you permission to let everything go for a little while.

But in the back of my mind is this annoying, scraping kind of voice telling me if I know what's good for us, I'll get the high-fiber cereal and schoolbooks back out. And I'll even exercise every morning. And, honestly, I wonder how long I can ignore this voice? Is it just there because I'm a first-born. I mean, are all you second and third-born moms out there wondering how on earth I can feel so guilty so quickly? Maybe it's my mom's fault--because don't life's troubles always come back to Mom? (I'm totally joking, in case you're a friend of my mother and are dialing her up right now.)

So, my only conclusion is that I think I might be going a little crazy. Crazy to reinstate summer break. Crazy to give sugar at breakfast time. Crazy to even take up coffee since I almost made it to 40 without it. Crazy posting this in a public venue. Crazy to admit I hear voices. Crazy to hit "Publish" and head off for another cup of coffee and cake...

3 comments:

Becky S. said...

Another first-born mom here. Another guilt-ridden-for-no-good-reason mom here. Completely understand. :o) But no advice to offer, as I have a hard enough time working on my own decisions. Ha!

Alice said...

i'm trying to comment with a different computer - to see if it works now. and i totally think you need a summer break, so i'd go for it :)

Deb said...

Tee Hee, Alice. Read my latest post. We're ready to go back!