It comes with the territory.  

Post-vacation, summer bedtimes being lax and rise and shine times being delayed.  Time on their hands and high humidity in the air.

It all adds up around here to some pesky attitude issues.  Some delays in obedience.  Some just-about eye rolls.  Some slooooooow to finish their chores.  Some excessive complaining about doing incredibly normal things – like going to the grocery store and putting away your shoes.

Makes a momma think the schedule might be more of her friend than she realized, even with big kids.

I’ve given a few speeches already.  Reminded a few certain individuals of impending consequences for continued delays in “hearing”.  Tried to encourage with words of hope and kindness.  Used a little bribery for an especially drudgery-type household chore that we’d all been avoiding.

And I also changed up the words on the mantle – maybe a more subtle reminder to my children to change the tune they’re singing.

 

 

Today I registered the kids for next year in our homeschool organization and my heart skipped a handful of beats when I wrote down London’s grade as NINTH and Otto’s as THIRD.  Yes, I double checked with everyone within hearing distance and London said, with exaggerated maturity and sympathy to the others, “Mom just doesn’t like to embrace anyone getting older.”

No. Mom does not.

Today I had lunch with friends.  A business lunch.  A lunch designed to be about a business partnership.  And it was a business lunch.  A working lunch.  We talked about business.  We accomplished what we came to do.  But we also shared a handful of stories and laughed so loudly and for so long that I thought maybe we would be kicked out of the restaurant.  I mean, I can’t even remember when I last laughed like that – out of control, couldn’t get my words out, tears coming to my eyes – laugh out loud.  My abs hurt from laughing.  My face felt funny from grinning so much.

It was a fantastic way to spend a few hours.  Laughter is just about my favorite thing.  I hope my kids remember their mom as laughing a lot.

I also finally made that trip to the grocery store – the first one after our return home.  (I held out a long time, didn’t I?)  Our cabinets were bare. I had two extra kids with me at the store and I’m sure we looked like a cartoon.  I’ve long ago gotten over caring how we look when we roll into a place any more though.

 

 

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