Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

Lately I've felt dead inside because summer has taken over.

By summer I mean kids schedules and the never ending cycle of activity.

My summer jobs include:
greater area water park tour guide, lifeguard, social coordinator, sleepover consultant,
ice cream social director and meteorologist.

All of which are add-ons to my regular duties:
driver, mediator, cook, house cleaner, therapist, and cheerleader.

Don't get me wrong.
I love staying home with my three kids...really.

But summer with kids home has me so busy running around
I don't have time/energy to bother with what I like.
Even reading others blogs seems like such a chore in the summertime.
I partly blame the humidity. It brings out my foul side.

Yesterday though, I had an epiphany.
My oldest girl asked me to play tennis with her.
And it was fun.
A great time, no place I'd rather be, fun.
We talked and laughed and chased tennis balls and acted stupid together.
I really saw her.

The years spent with loss of identity, personal time, personal space...they're for a reason.
I've helped grow a person I want to talk to and be with.
A girl who's funny and kind and wants to play tennis with her mom on a Wednesday night.
I mean, she sucked, but that's not the point.

I'm trying to stay focused on a bigger picture--raising confident, self sufficient, non-assholes.
So far so good.

More about this gorgeous room tomorrow.

{via Pinterest}