*I wrote this back in 2013 on JoplinMOLife, yet I still find myself falling into this summertime role every so often. I suppose it will be this way every summer until my kids fly from the nest…
Ah, summer.
A time to sleep in, laze about, and…add more job descriptions to my already exhaustive mommy resume.
Yesterday, my preschooler followed me into the laundry room where I was working a shift (Laundress, 1997-present) and said, “Mama, I want to order something.”
I had an idea where this conversation might be leading, but I was hoping that maybe she had just seen a toy or something while surfing the net with her big sister and wanted to order it.
“What, honey?” I asked.
“Um, I’d like to order some juice, please.”
Seriously? She sought me out for the sole purpose of placing a beverage order?
Well, at least she was polite about it, not like Honey Boo Boo from Toddlers and Tiaras demanding a Big-Gulp size of Go-Go Juice, with foot stomping and whining added for dramatic flair.
But back to this new summer duty of mine: This morning, I realized that I had spent an hour in the kitchen making breakfasts – yes, that is plural – for everyone. Mind you, this is a task that is accomplished in under 10 minutes during the school year, so why is it taking so much longer now?
It’s partially due to the fact that the kids are waking up at different times, and it’s partially my own fault because I want to make sure that they eat a healthy breakfast now that I have time to make it for them in the summer (ha ha!). I guess there is some guilt on my part for flinging “convenience” breakfasts at them during the school year, but spending an hour fulfilling separate breakfast orders is ridiculous, no matter how healthy they may be.
So, after realizing that I spent my morning acting like Mel at his diner (“Order up, Flo!”), I decided to take a stand. I told my oldest daughter (the one who would sleep the entire day away if I allowed it) that I would be making breakfast – yes, that is singular – for everyone at one time only each day, and if she wasn’t awake by that time, she would be responsible for making it herself (my other daughters are still too young to cook, otherwise I’d have them fend for themselves as well).
Yikes, where did Fun Mom go?
Fun Mom wants to enjoy just a smidgen of her favorite season of the year outside, in the sunshine.
Not spending hours filling orders in the kitchen.
*This post appeared on Just BE Parenting.