I feel like summer break really started on Monday, because that was the first work day that I didn’t go to work. After a busy, somewhat stressful weekend, I was really looking forward to sleeping in on Monday. But there were high winds on Sunday and Monday morning the power went out several times. We have a monitor in our bedroom that allows us to hear what is going on upstairs, and every time the power went off the monitor loudly implored us to please put the device near the baby and keep any cords away. The first outage was at 5am, and I definitely didn’t fall back asleep before 7am. Eventually our son came to join us in bed and we all must have slept a little while longer because we didn’t get up until 8:30. Still, it wasn’t the restful first morning of summer that I’d been hoping for.
Monday we saw Inside Out 2, which I LOVED. I loved the first one and was very excited for the new one. It did not disappoint. The whole time I kept thinking, I am surrounded by this, at work and at home, every day of my life! No wonder I’m exhausted.
Monday evening I had to teach Basics at the dojo. As always I had been dreading it for a full week, and as always it wasn’t that bad. I hope I can avoid dreading it for the one time I’m teaching in July.
Tuesday morning I took my daughter, her friend and her friend’s mom (my friend) to the airport. I have three mom friends whose three daughters have been my daughter’s friends since Kindergarten. We do a lot together. And this week, two of the moms are taking all four daughters to DC for five days. One of the moms has access to a house there, but it’s small and it can barely fit the four girls and one adult, so only one other mom could go. I volunteered, but another friend had never been and she doesn’t get to travel much so I conceded the spot. I have already been to DC and I’m traveling this summer, plus my daughter can find me distracting when all eight of us hang out, so it definitely felt like the right move. I honestly hadn’t thought much about it until this past week as I helped my daughter pack for the trip. All weekend I was feeling bummed out that I couldn’t go. It is going to be a really fun trip, and I’m sad I won’t be a part of it.
It probably doesn’t help that yesterday we (my husband, son and I) headed down to New Brighton State Beach to camp. We specifically planned this while our daughter was gone because she is NOT a fan of camping. I don’t really love it either. It’s not that I hate it, but it’s SO MUCH WORK. It’s work to pack the car and it’s work while you’re camping and it’s work afterward. I never get to relax for even one minute and I feel like I’m dealing with all the stuff at home for WEEKS afterward.
This time we get home on Friday and then I leave Monday with my son and his friends for a (work) week at the KOA. So I’ll spend all weekend unpacking and then packing again. Same goes for the following weekend, because we leave for St. Louis on Monday, 7/1.
I have identified that this school year felt way too stressful for me because of all the travel we did (two camping trips included) and now I’m starting my summer camping and chaperoning my son and his friends at the KOA (glamping is a word one could use, it’s honestly maybe fancier than that). I’m not thrilled by this turn of events but I’m not sure how I could have avoided it. My daughter got to spend longer than this amount of time at the KOA with her friends for three summers. I don’t want my son to miss out just because I haven’t made an effort to befriend any of his friends’ moms. I don’t want my son, who is the second kid, to feel like he missed out on special things his sister got to do. I’m actively trying to avoid that with both the camping trip (he is the one who loves camping) and the KOA.
I really don’t know how to protect my own well being, while also meeting the needs of others.
I guess I need to lower expectations, both mine and others’.
UPDATE: We didn’t start packing, or really planning, the two days near Santa Cruz until yesterday morning, but we were able to get the car ready pretty quickly. I worked out and showered and we were on the road by 2:30pm.
Traffic was rough and it took 2.5 hours to get down to the camp site – a full hour more than it should have – but otherwise the day has gone pretty well. Tuesday and this morning were pretty chill. I even had time to get some nagging tasks done.
I think part of the reason it went well is our daughter is not joining. She really dislikes the inability to shower while camping and it’s a lot of work to manage her anxiety before, and during, a camping trip. It’s also easier to plan and pack for just three people instead of four; we didn’t have to put the cargo carrier on the hitch this time. Finally, this camping trip is near cities and towns, so we can easily get supplies if we need them. We’re not eating all our meals at the camp site, and we’re even planning on hitting up the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk today. Camping is a less daunting proposition when you don’t have to wonder how your energetic 10yo son will pass the time.
I meant to post this yesterday, but I was scolded every time I looked at my phone. So I’m posting it this morning. I slept… well enough I suppose. And today we’re visiting tide pools and going to the boardwalk, which I love. I’m trying hard to be in the moment and find the rest when I can. Ultimately I recognize this is less stressful than being on the DC trip, which would have involved intense experiences with lots of people 24 hours a day for several days. I have to do that in St. Louis so it’s best I’m not doing it before hand too. That kind of trip really wears me out.
Anyway, I guess I just took us all on that emotional journey. You’re welcome. 🤣 I guess what I learned, again, is that you can be sad to miss something even when you know it’s best that you missed it. Both can be true.
Also, please enjoy these beautiful views of the ocean from your campgrounds.
Reminded me why I used to enjoy camping…..and why I don’t do it any more. Age really does impact some choices. Electricity is really important for me now.
Am proud of you for making sure both your kids get so many wonderful experiences! and such a gift tot he other children who get to go (and to the mom who had not been to DC before).
Hope The Farm is more restful and energizing and rejuvenating than you made it sound in this post. It always sounds like fairytale magic happened on your return.
Hope then you get some quiet down time. THANK YOU for the pictures!
The farm is super fun, but not very restful. Although now that my kids are older I can enjoy my own cousins more, while my kids enjoy their cousins! That is delightful indeed.
I like the idea of camping, but I don’t really love the work that comes with it. ALL THE PACKING. I hope you can still enjoy this time away and I mean, the views really make up for it 🙂
I also love the idea of camping but not really the reality. I think if we could get the kids to help more it would be nicer. Right now it’s just a ton of work. And not great sleep.
Why didn’t your husband and son camp without you? You seem to do a lot with your son — all that time at the dojo for example.
We talked about me not going camping. It was definitely presented as an option. In the end I decided to go because we so rarely do things without his sister and I knew it would mean a lot to him for us both to be there with just him. I didn’t want him to think that if his sister wasn’t there I would also not be there. And I figured it would still be packing and unpacking which were the parts I was least interested in. So I went. Our som is definitely the more sensitive of our kids and he’s also the second child and I worry a fair amount about him. So all that came into play when I was deciding.