High Maintenance

School has only been in session for week, and already I'm remembering why I so enjoy the summertime. There is time to LIVE.

Last night, after stopping at the music store, visiting my grandma, cleaning up supper (which my husband cooked), going through backpacks, packing the next day's lunches, putting on laundry, taking out trash, giving baths, administering medicine, emptying the dishwasher, going through my checkbook and menu planning for my grocery shopping trip, I looked up and it was after 8 pm. I had yet to play with my kids or read to them - and it was after their bedtime.

In the summer, we have time to go to our son's baseball games, get a sno-cone, watch a movie or play games and actually spend time together - because bedtime is at 930 or so, not 8. That hour and a half really does make all the difference.

Sure, I could do all those things after the kids go to bed, and spend that time with them. That is what I should do. BUT, mommy gets tired too! When the house is quiet and dark, mommy and daddy sit down to rest, and usually fall asleep. Last night was no exception. TV comes on, I fold laundry and then slither down into the couch and blankets and I'm out. My husband gets up at 4 am, I get up at 530. Come 9pm, we're TIRED!

The amount of time we spend on "Maintenance" each day consumes so much of our lives. For some reason, the high-maintenance life is so much easier and fun in the summer - time seems to slow down, even if we are doing MORE things in a day. A high-maintenance life isn't easy, and the time spent as a family is sometimes spent doing work, chores and mundane tasks - but I have to remember what my favorite movie character from "Multiplicity" says...

"It's ALL quality time."