The Chaos Recedes

FYI, I'm done apologizing for my extended absences.  Mommin' is hard, yo, and finding the time to devote to this little corner of the interwebs is tough.  But here I am! 

Summer is over.  Let me say it a little louder for the people in the back.  SUMMER IS OVER!

Don't get me wrong- we had a really great summer.  I had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of quality time with the kiddos.  We started the season with a beach vacation, which was lovely as always.  And then we returned to FULL STEAM AHEAD.  We stayed crazy busy.

Gabe joined a summer swim team.  No one was more surprised than J and I were at his love for the sport.  G is not so much athletic, and he joined under protest.  I am not one to push my kids into athletics just for the sake of fulfilling some societal norm.  This was more a matter of needing something to fill up some time, meanwhile creating a stronger, safer swimmer.  Turns out, he took to swim team like a fish to water.  (Ha!)  Was he the fastest?  Not by a long shot.  But did he ask to compete in every stroke and relay?  Yep.  Did he become a stronger swimmer?  Unquestionably.  And now he wants to join a year round swim team.  If you need me, I'll be at the pool.

By the way, the pool is at my gym.  Seriously, put a bed in a corner there for me, as it is truly my second home.  I am in the process of adding further fitness certifications to my resume (yay BodyPump!) and even have my very own class on the schedule beginning next week.  I am really finding my groove here, and love that I have a little job outside of the house.

Margot and Charlotte, meanwhile, spent the summer living their best lives.  Swimming, movies, outings, sister sleepovers all the time.  The bond these two girls share is just amazing.  They continue to be best friends, no matter who they claim as a BFF.  Fingers crossed that the love doesn't run out before the teenage years, when the hormone flow in this house will be OUTTA CONTROL.

J and I ended the summer with a kid-free getaway to Jamaica.  We spent a glorious week doing not much more than eating, drinking, lounging by the beach or pool, and drinking some more.  It was the perfect way to top off a great summer, and the perfect way to avoid killing my children as my patience was officially running low.

And on that note- we all made it through the season ALIVE.  School is back in session, routine is re-established, and we're all happier for it.  Charlotte is thrilled to be in the "big kid class" (Pre-K), and Gabe and Margot are back on the bus to elementary school each morning.  They've both had a good first few days and were truly looking forward to school starting again.  We were all ready.

So here I am now, with a little bit more time on my hands (I finally finished watching the current seasons of The Handmaid's Tale and Big Little Lies this week), a long list of projects I want to accomplish around the house now that the kids are not constantly wrecking it, and at least a small part of each day enjoyed in silence.

Bliss.