76 consecutive days and a little list

I am currently in the 76th consecutive day of spending summer vacation with my children, whom I love very, very much.

Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves how much we love our children. Right?

And sometimes, 76 consecutive days seem really fucking long.  Endless.  Monotonous.  Exhausting.

I think mostly it seems exhausting, monotonous and endless because at this very moment, I wasn't supposed to be in my 76th consecutive day of summer vacation.  I was supposed to be lounging.  Peaceful.  Quiet.  Not making someone a Nutella sandwich.  Not asking for the 843rd time, "How is your summer reading coming?"  Not peeling the skin off of an apple and leaving it round because I like it better that way.  Not listening to "But you said you would play Barbies with me!" and then, "But I really want to go play with my friends!  I'll play with you later, I promise."  then, "Wahhhhhhhhhhh!  Mommmmmmmmmy..."  or saying, "Your room is so disgusting it makes me want to vomit."

Wait.  I usually say that last thing about twice a week to my son.  I'm thinking being back in school isn't going to change that one.

Anyway, I wasn't supposed to to be doing those things because my kids were supposed to be back in school.  Like, right this very minute their little butts should be plastered to those awful, hard school chairs that probably had a hand in ruining my back for life.  Yes, yes they should.  But because our county is still in an official State of Emergency, the officials who officiate these things decided to postpone our first day of school.  Initially the postponing was til this coming Monday.  I just got word that now it may not be til Wednesday.  Another almost whole week.

I love summer vacation.  Like, a lot pretty much.  And I love hanging out with my kids and doing fun summery stuff.  But there comes a point when you're ready to be done.  Ready to get back to a normal schedule where kids go to bed at 8:00.  Where they come home tired and don't need to be constantly entertained.  Where they aren't bored.  And whiney.  And fighty.  And frankly, a snitch irritating.

Fall is my favorite season and I don't think it feels like Fall when my kids are still home in summer vaca mode.  It feels like summer.  Even though it's chilly and damp and cloudy and generally shitty out (not usually, just this past week or two).

I already have my Fall to do list fired up and ready to attack, because, you know, lists make me happy and fall makes me happy and crossing things off to-do lists make me happy. 

Wanna hear my Fall to-do list?  It's simple really.  But it's no fun if it doesn't feel like Fall.  Right?  I am boycotting Fall til the kids have their butts firmly planted in the hard school seats.  Then, and only then will I attempt to cross things off of this list.

Fall To-Do List

Go apple picking

Go to a pumpkin patch

Drink hot apple cider

Make cider donuts with the kids

Decorate for fall

Take cool morning walks

Go on nice long leave looking drives

Watch kids playing their fall sports

Check out any new good fall TV shows

Aw.  Making that list kind of made me a little happy.  I must confess that I just bought some apple cider.