This May Be A Dream Come True

All of a sudden our summer schedule is overwhelming. Time has sped up like something on a bad science fiction tv show. I planned fun activities for every day in August. Some even involved major driving. Our August calendar page looked like the Illinois tourism guidebook. But each outing was geared to Henry's (mostly) and my interests. They were baby-friendly. In the past, I saw infants in strollers at these destinations so I didn't think twice about bringing Liam.

Here I am halfway through the month and wanting to hide out at home. Not hang out at home, hide out. Shut the doors, windows, order groceries online and never leave. Is this just panic over going back to work soon after six months of maternity leave? Or is it something more?

I am realizing that always going, going, going is not the best for our family. My kids need me, not outings. Between the driving and distractions of our destinations, we have very little face time. When we get home, I rush around to do laundry, cook, clean and pack for the next adventure. All the while, my toddler is in front of the tv watching Curious George and my infant is in his Exersaucer wishing someone would hold him.

The worst part is that now I don't have the energy to do the things that really matter: spending quality time with my oldest and dearest friends. I've cancelled two get-togethers with my chosen family members. People who are truly part of our "village" and much more important than photo opportunities at a fest or waterpark. And speaking of family, I've rushed through visits with Henry's grandparents so we could get on with the next thing on our summer itinerary.

Now with only a few days before starting back to work, I'll try to look at the positive side. I've learned a good lesson about overscheduling. Henry has had many enriching, stimulating experiences and I have hundreds of photos to document our summer. Of course, I won't have time to post them online or arrange them in the scrapbook unless I put on another video.