The End is Near (or an Update from a Summer Holiday that is almost Over)

As I write this, there is less than 7 days till the kids go back to school and everything will again go back to normal…. At least until the next holiday. This holiday has been long a long one – almost 9 weeks of which we have had the kids home with us for the last 5.

Being two work-from-home parents, for us holidays like these are both a blessing and a real challenge. On one hand, we are here at home, get to spend time with them and don’t have to spend a lot on different summer programs or find other solutions for them. On the other hand, though, we still have work that has to be done and money that has to be earned.

This year, after previous summers experiences with different levels of frustrations, we sat down one evening after dinner, with a pen and a two-month calendar printout, to make a plan for the summer. A plan that would make sure that we all get through this as best as possible and without spending too much money. With inputs from everyone we started putting ideas down on paper.

First 3 weeks both had summer day camps so that was easy. The next 5 weeks were planned to look something like this: lots of trips to the pool, to the beach, crafts, a weekly trip somewhere and (hopefully) some time for the parents to work.

So how did all work out? Went to the cinema once, had a fun trip to the Luna Park, a trip down South as well as one way up North, a fun family visit as well as several outings with family and friends. About 5 trips to the beach and about 40 (!) to the pool (most effective use of a membership that I have ever had). Much more screen time for the kids than planned as well as less work time for the grown-ups. The occasional frustration from the parent part and occasional fighting part from the kids’ part, but overall, pretty good!

So am I looking forward to September 1? The closer we get to the date, the “yes” gets bigger. Even with the slow mornings and late nights, the experiences, the trips and the fun and all the time we got to spend together as a family, there is something comforting of our daily life with all of its routines. I miss the quiet mornings that are just mine and where I can actually get things done. I miss the late night quiet hours where it is just me and my man. What I won’t miss is the getting up early, all the daily organizing and most especially to prepare the school lunches again.

So very soon we will all again be back in the daily grind, hopefully looking back at a memorable summer with all that it included and hopefully a little wiser as how to do this even better next time…