School's Out!

In 3 hours and 20 minutes from right now, school is out for summer. HEEEEELLLLLPPPP MEEEEE!

I have a delightful child who is cooperative and helpful and no trouble at all, and yet . . . the thought of not having a kid-free zone that I can count on is a bit overwhelming. This is the first summer that she is not going to a day camp most days. It will the be the most unstructured summer we've had since she's been a toddler so that's my frame of reference.

I know in my head that I don't need to follow her around and never take my eyes off her like I did when she was a toddler, but I'm not quite sure what lots of time with a tweener will be like. She does have the tendency to look at me and say, "What are we going to do now," as if I were a cruise director or something. Often, when I suggest my only child call a friend to play with she says, "But I want to do something with you." Awwwwww.

I can't imagine that sentiment is going to last much longer so I most always take advantage of it. I have no memories of playing with my own mother after I was school age, and I would have liked to, so I'm not going to quash suggestions for togetherness. It's easy enough to do as she is a delightful child, and the only one. My mother had five of us so mothering was more like crowd control than tete a tetes. I know I'm lucky, and yet . . . . AAAACCCCCCCCCCCKKKK!

Okay. That's done. Out of my system. I am ready to face my child 24/7 for the next 3 months. (Picture Edvard Munsch's (sp?) painting, The Scream, and you'll see my face). Happy summer.