Summer Vacation is Ending

Even though we are going to be "home educating", my kids are sensing the end of the summer. I put that term in parenthesis because we are using a chartered public school known as Maize Virtual Preparatory Academy. It is a public school based out of Maize, KS but is a virtual school. The kids have a teacher assigned to them so they will have that access if needed. We are starting, hopefully, August 22nd.


However, most schools are back in session as of Monday morning at 8am. That means pools are closing or going to reduced hours. This past summer we attended Sylvester Powell Community Center's family fun nights and on the last night they held them ... they gave away pool passes to the Mission Municipal Pool. We ended up with a total of 7 passes so we got to go for free SEVERAL times this summer. We went to their free nights on Wednesdays for Aqua Jamz and then today was the second time we got to use our pool passes. There weren't many people there so the kids really got the run of the place. Peanut spent much of her time on the slide and the diving board. She ran into a friend of hers that she hadn't seen in so long, they had forgotten they knew each other. *how sad!* Bullfrog hung out in the baby pool for awhile and then I finally caved and let him go to the big kids pool cause his pals were moving to that pool. I have to be honest, he was ready for the big kids pool ... it was me that wasn't ready for him to be that grown up yet! *sigh*

Watching my children splash and play in the pool without a care in the world reminded me exactly how happy I am that I get to be at home with them and watch them grow. It reminded me that I need to be more diligent about thanking my husband for slaving many hours and supporting him in every way he needs to make his life just an ounce easier. Is being a mom easy? Heck no. But being a working parent who is supporting EVERYONE else is not easy either. Sure he isn't here to pick up the mess he helps make, he isn't here to help break up the fights and the bickering, he isn't here to run all the errands or even help with the errands ... BUT, he is here when I need a shoulder to cry on, he IS here when his children want to tell him about their day and he IS at almost EVERY important event they have. He sacrifices sleep to go to things that are VERY important to them. To me, that is SO much more than forgetting to put socks in the hamper ... or a dish in the sink. To me, that is the world. Why? Because it puts smiles on the kids faces and it reminds me that housework will be there when we get home ... or will be there on the weekends when I do have an extra hand to help out. So, to all the fathers out there (or mothers with sahds) THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!