Summer Break

During the toddler years, I heard other moms of school-age children complaining about summer break.  I remember thinking, "Why have kids if you just want them in school all of the time?"

Somehow I know have a bigger appreciation for what they were talking about. 

Honestly, I love having them home all summer.  There are just a few things that I could do without.  For your fun reading, here is my list of the pros and cons of having the kids home all day every day for three months...

Pros:
The joy of having the kids around
Summer vacation
Lots of playing outside
The kids get to play together
No driving back and forth to the school
Able to stay home and get caught up on housework
The kids can sleep in
The kids make up adventures in the backyard
No more homework
No packing of lunches and snacks
No fighting on early bedtimes
Running around in the sprinkler

Cons:
The kids are always around
Long car ride to the beach for vacation
Constant applying of sunscreen
The kids end up fighting together
Driving back and forth to the park, waterpark and playdates
The house only stays clean at night, while everyone is asleep
The kids never sleep in
There is a steady stream of sand, dirt and water being tracked in from the backyard
Being constantly begged to play board games over and over again
Hourly requests for food
By the time the kids go to bed, it is past my bedtime
Finding wet bathing suits under the bed

Oh well.  Even with the negatives, having them home is a joy.  Lots of memories have already been made and I am sure there are lots more to come.