Be Careful What You Wish For
(Our Boring Summer - The Epilogue)
Yep, it’s September! Back to school and all the rest of it. Except for this time, it feels a little (or a lot) different around here.
Back in June, I wrote about how we planned on having a boring summer, free of major commitments or big plans. One where aside from regular work duties, we did a whole lot of whatever we felt like, whenever we felt like it. One where our kids would have to find ways to occupy themselves without constantly being shuttled to day camps or other activities.
When we decided to do this, it was mostly because we were spent. We needed a break from several years worth of juggling too many commitments and having too much on our plates. We just couldn’t fathom another summer that felt like an extension of the busy-ness of the rest of the year. And although we’d already taken some steps to say no to a lot of things that wanted our time and attention, it just wasn’t enough. Once you get a taste of that kind of liberation, you want more. Also, with me working at home, it didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense to us (financially or otherwise) to send our kids off to camps all summer.
It turns out that we got a lot more than we bargained for. Sure we got more down time than we’ve ever had. Which was the point. But what we weren’t expecting is that the last few months have been kind of like hitting the re-set button for our family in so many ways. We never anticipated it, but we’re all feeling pretty damn good about it right now.
Here's what happened...