Last summer I cut myself a massive break. I had fun. Really. It was quite a let-down when the summer ended. The unassuming beginnings of Camp Momma began accidentally two years ago when my husband went to Sydney, Australia for work. One really great day at the zoo lead to a surprise stop for ice cream another day, which lead to an extended afternoon out and then dinner at a restaurant. During the weeks he was gone, I simply let a few things go that I wouldn't typically allow to be out of my control. And you know what? The law enforcement never came to charge me with endangerment and reckless abandon. The decorating police never came. The cleaning police never came. Neither did the ironing task force or the organizing crime squad.
At the beginning of last summer, I'm sure I had forgotten the few carefree moments I allowed myself to have with the girls, but I started out with a bang anyway. A "Hey, let's go to the......" turned into a memory flood of how much fun a beautiful summer season can be when the pressure is turned off. I live for our summers, and now I live for the days of Camp Momma with which to fill them.
It's hard when my husband travels, and it's dually hard for me with the utter exhaustion I experience all the time. Even on days when I think I can simply not function one more second, I have kind of learned to almost remove myself from my body and just focus on the girls and what I want for them. What I want for them is to remember Mom giving special pushes on the swings....oh no, no ~ not your standard under ducks, but "under kitties" and "under cows", complete with sound effects. I want them to remember the awesome mess we made making a craft, or baking muffins. And I want to remember squeals of "This is FUN!!!" as they roll down hill together and land in a dizzy pile at the bottom.
3 comments:
I dream of carefree summer days and underdogs on the swings and hanging at the beach until the sun goes down, BBQing pizza and making s'mores at the beach bonfire. OK< now I am ready fro summer!
Sounds like the beginning of a fun summer. Can I come play too?
Pat
Your technique of focusing on the people you love is very effective and really amazing for someone suffering from chronic fatigue and pain. Your daughters are so fortunate to have a mother who is providing a rich and happy childhood for them. You'll all have such great memories of summer!
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