Just keep swimming...

I have to admit, I had more than a few days this summer when I was ready to ditch every single form of electronic entertainment (OK... maybe not my beloved internettin' box aka laptop) - I got so frustrated with the kids playing Wii, computer games, watching endless TV shows about Myths, the people who bust them, the people who dig in barns and find memorabilia about them, and the people who forget about said memorabilia in their storage lockers only to have that blasted Dave Hester win the whole kit and kaboodle at auction with a last-minute "YEP!"...

...and if you understand that last paragraph, I know you feel my pain.

True, C and R both swam this summer (until the end of July when the team closes up shop for a month of vacation) and they did plenty outside, too. Still, we all reached the edge (and beyond) of frustration plenty of times, something that was not helped by record-setting heat and no central air conditioning. Lesson for next summer? When the swim season ends, this family needs to get out of dodge for a while!

Then, school started. All of the kids have more demanding classes (except C is really enjoying Geometry after a year of Algebra's epic homework load). Then swimming started up again, now with all 3 swimming. R and C both moved up to more competitive and more demanding swim groups. Then youth orchestra started. Running club starts soon. R's 3-day school trip is just around the corner. Jazz band starts next week. Science fair is mandatory and it's kicking into high gear and it's no joke, y'all - finding the perfect project that is interesting enough to hold C's interest, good enough to get an A but not so good that she has to go to the regional fair during the absolute busiest time of year for her musical life (lesson learned from last year), not to mention actually doing the experiment takes a poopload of time and energy. Did I mention C's role in the youth orchestra has expended dramatically? My point? I'm going to shut my mouth about their summertime laziness next year. Kids are stretched thin. Some kids (C *cough* C) are stretched very thin (Me: "Something's got to give, C!" Her: "School?" Me: "Never mind... carry on."). They need summers filled with mythbusting and sasquatch searching to regenerate enough to get through the school year!

So, we'll just keep swimming (and running, and music-ing, and schooling, and...), and hopefully I'll have the sense to welcome summer's lazy (laaaazzzzyyyy) days when the come around again.