summaAARGH

How psyched is everyone that summer has finally arrived! RIGHT? WOO HOO!

We've kicked that Polar Vortex to the curb, swapped our boots for sandals, & reached for the sunglasses... 

Kids are happily following in their parent's lead, as they skipped through their final days of school... 

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Well, not in my world.

For starters, Hayden attends a much-needed summer school program called ESY (Extended School Year). But (a) it's only a couple hours in the morning, (b) the staff is different than the people who work with him during the regular school year, (c) there are far fewer kids (as most students do not need ESY), & last but not least... (d) it's summer school. BLAH.

Basically what this boils down to is an interruption in our day. We rush out the door & a few hours later he's home-- even earlier than a typical half day or early dismissal day.

By about 1pm he will have eaten breakfast, gone to school, come home from school, eaten lunch, & is ready to be entertained for the next 7 hours.

We enlist the help of a sitter until I can get home from work, but I am still on-the-clock when I return. This is hardly the perfect recipe for providing my child all of the attention & fulfillment he needs & deserves. Furthermore, most days of the week we lack a Plan B.

But if you think that sounds fantastic, wait until I tell you what happens after six weeks... no more summer school. So, we bribe the sitter for even more hours to cover even larger gaps of time.

Over the years, as Hayden has aged in & out of various programs-- all the while surrounding his ESY schedule-- Hayden's summers have included: home services for therapy, daycare, a few weeks of camp (which he attended with his sitter as his "Shadow Counselor"), or, services through a local special needs agency... to name a few.

Each option had its own issues, if you will, where certain aspects were great & certain things were not working for him (or us).

Nothing was just right.

Yes this summer there may be moments of picture-worthy joy, or carefree glimpses on lemonade days, with my sun-kissed kid frolicking around near the water's edge, waving a theoretic roasted marshmallow on a stick, while his father is relaxing nearby in an Adirondack chair... but Hayden truthfully only drinks water & is not likely to roast a marshmallow-- much less eat one-- & we're really not down by the lake much because during the week it's too difficult with our work schedules, & the weekends are usually busy with other family stuff.

Quite honestly, with the reduced school schedule & loose daily structure, summer's for us are kind of stressful. When that final school bell rings... it's as if I can hear it in my head... with a creepy inner voice... have fun for the next couple of months!

Maybe I should start counting how many times I am scared half to death by some nasty bug I find in our house.
Yeah.
How psyched AM I that summer has finally arrived! RIGHT?!

-- If you see a bumper sticker that says, "I'd rather be fighting over homework, air-drying cable knit sweaters, or cleaning snow off my car" ... then send me one.

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