End of Summer Approaches

I haven’t been blogging lately, because frankly, I’ve been a little down.


Summer has been a lot of fun, but already it’s winding down with school starting in just a few weeks. I’m spending less time thinking of fun things to do on the weekend, and more time getting ready for the scramble that is the start of a new school year.

Charlie needs a haircut.

Noelle needs a haircut.

They both need new backpacks and lunchboxes.

They both need new school clothes and school supplies.

We’re trying to get Charlie into a new school, but haven’t heard yet if he’s in.

If he gets into the school we want, he can ride his bike to and from.

In order to ride his bike, I need to BUY him a new bike for his birthday.

To ride his new bike to school, he needs to learn the route to the new school, which we still don’t know if he’s gotten into yet.

And then there’s the agony of SHOULD he be allowed to ride his bike to/from school?

Did I mention he’s about to have a birthday??

Okay, maybe I’m not down. Maybe I’m just tired! And possibly overwhelmed. This whole “single parent” thing fluctuates daily. Sometimes hourly. There are times when the kids and I have a great routine and we feel like a team, and then there are times when they’re on one side of the fence, I’m on the other, and we’re both declaring war.

Ultimately, the hardest part of this venture is having to make all the decisions by myself. When things are good it’s easy to make choices and get things done, but for the tougher stuff – I miss having that other person to bounce ideas off of, or to shoulder some of the responsibility. I can live with taking on all the laundry and the bills and the shopping and the cooking, but when it’s all on me to choose every last thing, I get weary from worry over whether or not I made the right choice. I don’t mean the little stuff – more like decisions about child care and what’s best for these two little people that I am trying to raise in a loving and nurturing environment. Nope, no pressure there!

And then there are weeks like these. I know we’ll get through to the other side, but in the meantime, there’s a mountain of a checklist that I need to get through before the resident 3rd and 5th graders start their year.

I love roller coasters, but for now, I’m ready to exit this one!