The summer I decided not to send any of them to day camp.
Sometimes, I’ll admit, my brain goes a little haywire, and when that happens, well, stuff like this happens! Like me thinking I’m Wonder Woman! So, toward the end of the school year, my boyfriend asked me who we were signing up for day camp and for how many weeks, and I replied that I was going to keep them all with me the whole summer! WTF! That’s it—I’m officially crazy! So, we’ve got to get ready for this summer, so I printed out the whole summer schedule: the beach, water slides, fishing, hiking, trips to the cottage, and so on...
Oh, and one little detail: I’m pregnant as can be (due June 22), and since we’re a blended family, my boyfriend and I have six kids (seven including the one in my belly)—HELP?! So Baby No. 7 is due on June 19, and we managed to find childcare for the other six just in time so Dad could be there for the baby’s arrival. The next day, when we left the hospital, we picked up the whole gang, and my boyfriend went back to work (he’s the CEO of his company—no paternity leave). I’m taking a couple of seconds to catch my breath and roll up my sleeves, because curling up in a ball and crying in my closet isn’t an option—unfortunately! I try to tell myself that my amazing boyfriend will be able to help me on the weekends: stay positive, girl—you’ve got this!! Bbfc (beautiful, good, fun, capable)
But damn it, what was I thinking?!
Week 1: Phew, not easy! I’M FREAKING OUT a little!!!!
Week 2: Wonder Woman is back—today, Mom feeds the little ones and off we go to Mont St-Bruno for a hike! Well, guess what—it went super well!!! Week 3: I burned one… oops, no—two pots while boiling water for my baby bottles because, unfortunately, I don’t breastfeed (long story), but it’s okay—everyone’s alive, and we even went to the beach!
And then came Weeks 4, 5, 6.... filled with all kinds of activities, laughter, and love—and bam! Back-to-school time is already right around the corner!
I thought I wasn’t going to make it, but I had one of my best summers ever!! It was simply amazing!! Baby tagged along with us everywhere, and our six other little darlings had a blast. We did more activities than we did in the past two years combined. Even though it wasn’t a fairy tale every single day, our summer was unforgettable!!! School starts again in a week—I’m happy to have a little break coming up, but at the same time, I’m sad to realize it’s already over. I guess that’s just part of the deal when you become a mom—you’d pay anything for a break, but you’d love to keep them in their shorts forever!
I hope you all had a summer as magical as ours (and if not, you can make up for it next year!) and that you’re all ready for a great start to the school year. So, no matter what—get those labels ready, moms; the countdown has begun—just one more full week to go!
Signed, the mom who’ll be at the back of the schoolyard with a Smirnoff in hand (in my dreams) to celebrate the return to routine, but with a little tear in her eye because she’s going to miss her kids—who are getting way too big!