…a new school year. I always love the beginning of another school year for many reasons. The first being that it marks the beginning of Fall, which is my favorite season. I love the cooler temperatures and the promise of cool crisp evenings, wearing boots and my comfy sweaters, the fall foliage, soups, and the beginning of the Holiday Season, to name a few. There are just so many things I love about it.
Don’t get me wrong…I also LOVE summer. I love spending time with my kids without having to worry about structure or busy schedules. I love being able to vacation with family and friends, which usually includes: boating, camping, hiking, swimming, late nights, lazy mornings, sunshine and sleeping in. We always seem to work hard and then play hard.
But after about 10 weeks, I tend to start craving some structure and organization…
Five kids at home all day with a few extra friends running through the house tends to become a bit draining on this momma. The lack of structure also can wreak havoc on our family chores and tends to lend itself to more bickering and boredom. As a parent…you can totally relate…right?! (Can I get an AMEN!)
So…when it’s time for school to start again…this momma is ready. Not because I don’t like my kids or want to be around them…but because this momma needs some structure. This momma needs some time to hear her own thoughts again without always having to be in “good mom mode”….
A good mom needs time to recharge. Time to be able to refocus her efforts so that she can put the needs of her children first. Time to be able to organize the masses and the workload that comes with raising kids. And this momma in particular needs some time to recharge after being on for 10 weeks straight.
This momma needs the structure of a new school year to reclaim her brain that slowly starts to get foggy after 10 weeks of constant noise, chatter and some childish bickering so that she can once again tackle the after school madness that occurs from about 3 pm to 9 pm Monday through Friday.
Back-to-school becomes a time when I can recharge my batteries and become the mom I was on the last day of school. A mom full of energy bursting with excitement and knowledge of an entire summer with my lovelies looming on the horizon. The summer we had longed for after the wear and tear of the school,programs, sports and homework madness that is May. (Can I get an AMEN?!)
So…for the next two weeks, you will find me basking in “loudness” of the quiet house, willing my “mom brain” to de-fog. I might not be much help for the next week or so while I unleash the crazy which may include some…or none…of the following: de-junking, organizing, menu planning, Pinterest pinning, wasting time on Instagram, or vegging on the couch in a blissful state vegetation.
But you can bet, that I will be back and ready to take on this mom gig with full force. A new momma will emerge. A mom ready to face another school year with excitement and gusto. A mom ready to tackle that umpteenth mountain of laundry, cheer her heart out at her 249th soccer game, whip up yet another dinner, while tackling algebra and world history for the 6 people she is enamored with.
Just give me another few minutes of quiet….and some cooler temps…and this momma will be bringing it once again!
What about you? How do you feel about sending your kids back-to-school?
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Jennifer says
Oh my gosh!! That means your house has to be amazingly quiet now. :-) I also have a 7th grader…and yours a spread out as much as mine are!
Amy says
It is nice and quiet but I still don’t have enough time to get all that needs to be done…done :) Yes. Mine are spread out a bit. How many kids do you have Jennifer?
I love your back to school photos!!! I’m stealing the idea! Have a great start to the school year.
Thanks Karissa! I stole the idea last year from my friend NoBiggie.net :) Such a simple and easy idea. I just used a blank frame and then wrote the text on in my photoshop program. xo
thank you for admitting you like school to start. I feel the same way I love my son but he needs school. He needs the structure and so do I. I have always felt like people look at me like I am a bad mom cause I can’t wait for school to start. I love my kiddo but I love having the structure that school brings into our lives.
I honestly don’t think it makes us bad moms…just REAL moms who need time to recharge so they can be the best mom possible they can be.. No one can be “ON” 24 hours a day which is what being a mom is…a 24 hour a day job. Thanks so much for your comment Corrine! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know a bit about my readers too!
As a former teacher, I lived for summers. Now that I work from home and have two sons 5 and 4, summer does mean being on 24/7. I look forward to a few hours each day just for me. I’m not a morning person, and this year means we are out the door at 7:15 each day-hard for a recovering insomniac.
I hope we both recharge our batteries the next few weeks, er months!
Nicolette
As a former teacher myself, I TOTALLY get that LOL! Thank you for sharing your story! I also understand the working from home and being out the door so early. Hope you can get some relief from your insomnia. That has to be so hard. Here is to re-charging :)
The last two weeks this summer, I found myself lost as what to do with my son. Being a single mom and I’m not working right now can limit the vacations a bit. I love spending time with my son, we have so much fun together checking out the free or low cost things to do in the city. With school back in session, I feel like my brain will be too. Some days got so lazy, that I didn’t pay much attention to my looks. T-shirts and shorts was the main dress code this summer. Thank you for sharing, I don’t feel so bad in being so happy that school is back in session.
I LOVED THIS AMY!! But I will miss hanging out with my grandkids on lazy summer days!
An official high schooler AND kindergartener!!! Woo-eee! I don’t like structure, so I fight the schedule, but it is what it is, and our lives revolve around it. One week down, and I think I’ll survive!