Our days look a lot like this.
Mostly every day, in fact.
A blue plastic kiddie pool, warm weather, and green grass.
Ignore that pink spot. I spraypainted.
The lazy way. It’s getting cut right off, right?
It’s totally fine.
Um, Henry…skin and bones that kid.
You can pretty much see every bone in his body. He’s been like that since he was born. A skinny little thing.
That is also kinda muscular. This picture gives me anxiety.
Girls, you will never be good enough for him. So just don’t.
So this is what we do.
We hang. The mama forces herself to ignore the laundry and the vacuuming and the EVERYTHING and just watch.
Relaxing is super stressful. I wish I was kidding.
Fruit trays feed nibblers and wanderers.
When the bellies are full, the entire tray slides right back into the fridge to be pulled out again the next day.
Silly sprinklers sprinkle.
Chickens get their free range on.
Cups schmups.
Babies wander and watch.
Balls are hit into neighbor yards.
When the sun and water (bill) and silly is spent, we trudge tired little bodies into the cool house for a movie. And if the mama is real lucky, a nap after that.
You know, I feel so guilty sometimes that this is our summer. I see the Other Moms who talk about the beach and the children’s museum and summer camps and exhibits and ACTIVITIES…and I’m like, “yeah, we played in a $15 pool with 2 inches of water in it.”
My mama guilt is heavy. Because we moms, we can feel guilty about just about anything. Actually, everything. I resolve to do something fun like go to the zoo the next day. But the next day comes, and everyone’s itching to get into their suits so they can play outside again.
So we do. Just about every day.
And we like it that way.
Maybe we will have a Summer of Activities one year.
I’ll even plan a different craft to do every day.
Maybe.
Are you an Activity Get Out and Do Stuff Family or a Stick Around the House and Do Nothing Family?
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Relaxing is stressful! My work cries out to me. I can quiet it all with the pregnancy card for a while…
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I’m just glad I’m not the only who finds relaxing to be stressful. I can rarely relax when I’m at home. My husband just doesn’t get it ;)
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It’s hard to relax when you know that there are tons of things to be DONE. I wish I weren’t like that. I wish I could not care. On the outside, I look all Cool Cucumber Mama, but I’m really dying inside at the thought of all the stuff sitting and waiting. But I know that this is the stuff I’ll miss someday. Laundry, not so much.
I actually almost didn’t click on this link (from FB) because I didn’t want to feel the jealousy of seeing another mom with tons of money (and help!) that can take her kids to the zoo every week. I hate that I feel that way sometimes, but it’s true. I feel like we get a little cooped up here every day, because, yep, we’re hang-out-at-the-house kind of people too. But we also have a nifty kiddie pool, a sand and water table, a sweet trampoline, and big yard, so we’re good. :) Thanks for the dose of real life.
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I feel that way too. I think we all do. I think the fact that I typically have ZERO help, it’s just stressful. Even for the kids. Mom is out of arms and just bouncing from one to the other so no one really has fun. That’s an exaggeration, but I think it is part of why being home and keeping it simple works so well for all of us.
This is what happens a lot at our house, except I’m at the office full time and my husband is the one at home playing lifeguard over the 3 inches of water. I’m jealous!
I worked full time until Henry was two.
So, trust me…I GET it. NONE of my friends worked. Not one. (Okay, except my office friends…obviously). I was pretty green eyed for a while there. And even for years before we had kids “knowing” I would still have to work even when we had them.
Hang in there mama.
They’re loving their days, so those pool days are perfect for your family! Things may change as they get older, but for now this is perfect for their summer. Enjoy the fun they’re having and don’t worry about the activities they’re missing. They aren’t missing them! :)
Don’t feel bad your post makes my green eyed monster peek out……. I wish we could spend days outside like this, but my days are in an office…. Then the weekends are JAMED packed. It looks awesome to me. Lazy days are the best.
I totally get it.
I was SO jealous when I worked and everyone on EARTH (it seemed) was a SAHM.
But you know, there are perks both ways. I promise.
(Hmmmm…sounds like a good post…)
Oh I know there are perks. I am thankful he has wonderful care. I listen to my sister and how she never. gets. a. break. And to that I am thankful. And I like working. I just wish there was a way I could do more of both. More like don’t feel bad for simple. Simple is awesome, and amazing, your kids will remember the fun lazy summer days. Who wants to be cooped up in a car. Plus, you guys go to DISNEY! Can I say DISNEY?? DISNEY!?! That is like WAY WAY WAY better than the dumb old zoo. (And ya, the zoo is not dumb but they don’t have the castle and mickey mouse! :) I also was not Not trying to make you or any other SAHM feel bad. The grass is always greener on the other side right? I think as long as no one is shaming anyone for their situation as for many many moms is not a choice, it is how it is. It’s all good.
Yep, my crew of four (plus me) – we’re right there with ya. Minus the $15 pool, we haven’t even gotten that yet…but we do have the three year old splash table :)
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This is being a mom at its best. Your kids are excited to play in the pool. We try to do one fun thing a week. But other than that we just hang out and take it easy. Sometimes if I’m super fun I’ll dump an entire laundry basket full of kitchen towels on the bed and declare its towel time! They love folding the towels! Now that is keeping it low key :)
Man. How do I get my kids to think folding is exciting??? Teach me, Oh Wise One.
Activities depend on money in the bank. We get out when we have money, and we stay in when we do not. I always have craft stuff around if they want to make something. My girls enjoy a trip to the dollar tree, so I guess I am lucky that do not expect too much and enjoy the times we are able to get out.
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I think this sounds awesome! I love free fun and your kids are going to have fond memories of doing this every day! I love the food set up too! Personally, I think providing kids’ activities every minute of every day is more like a chore and it makes it so that kids don’t know how to entertain themselves without someone or something’s help. They need times to be bored so they can figure out what they want to do on their own. You are giving them the opportunity to just do what they do! Plus, when you do actually go somewhere it will be that much more of a treat and not just another trip to the zoo. My favorite mantra is there’s always someone who has (or does) more than you… but there’s also always someone who has less. It helps me to remember to be grateful for what I have and can give to my kids at this time. You’re doing a great job and your summer days sound perfect to me!
This sounds like my summers from growing up. We lived in the country, so there was no neighborhood pool to join. The closest zoo was in D.C., a little over an hour away. I can’t remember a single craft with my mom… We played outside, ran through the hose, and did whatever else kids do when there’s no structured activity.
Okay, now that I list all of that, I can really see how deprived I was. MY CHILDHOOD SUCKED.
Kidding. Clearly you’re killing it as a mom. Your kids are having a blast. Live it up!
Just kidding. It didn’t, in the slightest.
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The Mama guilt about keeping up with the house is exactly why I finally made a rule for myself that laundry & deep cleaning/organizing was for rainy days ONLY. I am in MI where we only get summer weather for a short while. I can catch up on my house on days like today when it is in the 50s and raining. And also-I LOVE LOVE LOVE the tray idea and will be stealing it. :)
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This is exactly how we spent our summers growing up. We didn’t even have a neighborhood pool to go to or any other kids on our street. Just my sisters, a kiddie pool in the backyard, sprinklers, and our imaginations. It was awesome.
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We play in our little tiny blue pool every day too. The kids think it is the greatest thing in the world. I have to admit that I try to get my chores done before we go out though that way I can enjoy the relaxing not sit there and stress about what needs to be done next but it doesn’t always happen and there is always more stuff to do because lets face it we all have little ones.
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Ahh, that dreaded mom guilt. I was just thinking, “Well, at least she gets to stay home with her babies while mine will be watched by someone else becasuse I have to work.” And then I promptly chided myself for comparing, and released myself of guilt. As long as those babies are loved, who cares about anything else.
I started out with twins born at 27 weeks and then 3 years after that another preemie. My life starts to border on hermitville sometimes because I was so used to having to stay in and protect their little immune systems not to mention my own sanity that was compromised when I did try and get out with them. Oy. Now the boys are 6 and Addie will be 3 next week and we still spend many a day in the backyard with the sprinkler. Word.
I have a zoo membership and another village membership but have yet to use either this Summer. I guess all that to say that there will come a day, like my days now, when getting out isn’t difficult but that could be the day that you AND your kids would rather be in that simple backyard. :) Life’s funny that way.
PS my friends that run, run, run and entertain their little kids all. the. live. long. day. just look kinda tired to me :) (and so do their kids).
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Can I just say a being home and playing family is the way to go I think. Sure outings are great once in awhile, but it’s seriously a prized trait in a kiddo that you can let lose outside and they can entertain themselves. A kiddo that thinks everyday needs to be filled with one activity after the next will grow to be a boring adult!
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I just loved this post. What a good reminder. Thanks for writing it!
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Love this. I’ve found that whatever activity makes the munchkin happy is the best family activity. Sometimes it’s a trip to the local museum and sometimes it’s playing “post office” with a cardboard box and the pantry doors. Kids will remember how much fun they had and how loved they were, not all the pinterest-worthy things their mamas had them create. :)
b @ then there was we´s last blog post ..vacation, pt.2
This summer, I’ve vowed to spend my days just like yours…outside with homespun activities and zero scheduling. My littles are enrolled in three Vacation Bible Schools this year (our church, grandma’s church and our neighbor’s church) but that is the only organized activity on my radar. We had our first rainy day on Saturday and I kept my clean-house streak by spending the entire day in the garage. The big activity of the day? Sorting a bag of river rocks by color/size and then making our own “Rivers” with tin foil.
Total Cost: $1 in tin foil, $0 for the water and rocks (I’ll use them eventually in flower pots.) And we cleaned up in all of 5 minutes.
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