Simple Victories

The Backyard, Sure Beautiful at First But a Few Months Later -- UGH! 

February is the absolute worst month. 

And the fact that it's one of our shortest months is only testament to how rotten and awful it is; it just wouldn't be fair to make it a normal 31 days. The cold and horrible weather is unrelenting with no end in sight.

Unfailingly, my thoughts turn to Summer.

From the freezing bottom of February I'm making serious promises not to squander the beautiful weather and variety of things to do in those short, happy months. And, as it so happens, camp registration starts in February and there are several programs I'd love the girls to do, like week-long soccer and tennis camps.

So I've made a BOLD decision: I'm taking the last two weeks of June off!

I'll pull the girls out of full-day day care and enroll them in fun camp programs. Then, we'll spend those weeks on the soccer field, tennis court, the pool club and other nice-weather activities. I'll also tackle furniture refinishing, paint some walls and work on the vegetable garden.

This might seem silly, the fact that I find this idea so brilliant and crazy, but stealing two weeks just for me to spend at home with the kids is not normal. I'm used to working full-time and seeing summer from the windows of my office or the hour I sit in the local rose garden at lunch. Or from the car as I run the kids to and from errands on weekends. That's normal. Not this year! This year, I want two weeks to enjoy the summer months and the kids.

I guess, sometimes, we need to take these simple victories.