Maybe it's just me, but I remember the summers of my childhood as this magical time when I could just go do nothing (cf Christopher Robin), and I actually think I'm giving my kids something by giving them a season of nothing.

For what it's worth, we're seeing the first wave of "over-scheduled, over-protected" children in colleges and universities and lack of independence (and initiative) is a common complaint among professors.

I think that there's over scheduled, and then there's energy to burn. Some of my nieces and nephews -- well, let me say it like this -- my sisters need a break from some of their kids. One of my sisters once described her son as "like having a dog -- if he doesn't get out for a good run every day he'd chew my furniture." When she's working full time, she doesn't always have the time to get him out for that run.

(((sj))) Here's hoping it goes better than you expect.

Go, abx! Give Nora back her UTI-free body! And leave the happy good bacteria alone!

Raq, rrrrowwrrr. Not a "mommy cut" at all. Also? Great timing, getting under cover before the deluge.

Re: fic, I'm still scarred over the wrong-like-a-wrong-thing, but oh-so-hot Joyce-Holland-Snyder thing Plei wrote. Um.

Also? ships pretty!

Oh, I don't want to over schedule him, but I don't want to make my mom responsible for him all summer. She is the only adult who will be home, that is when she is not in the hospital. With her health, I don't want to depend on her 100%.

Now that K-Bug has her driver's license, she will want to be out and about and she can't drive him anywhere yet - not until next March, actually.

So - he will probably end up in the park program for the summer. Or at least, a good part of the summer - that is what I still need to figure out.

Yup, kissing good, UTIs bad. Sorry Nora! I hope the ABs kick in immediately.

{{{sj}}} I'll be thinking about you today, sweetie.

Maybe it's just me, but I remember the summers of my childhood as this magical time when I could just go do nothing (cf Christopher Robin), and I actually think I'm giving my kids something by giving them a season of nothing.

I think the difference is, back then, almost no moms worked. So we were all home together. Now, so many kids are in camp or other daycare during the summer, it's not quite the same. Ben's going to be a bit lonely this summer, during the weeks he doesn't have camp. There are very few kids in the neighborhood as it is, and I don't know where they'll be this summer.

Suzi! Less than two weeks!!!!!

bouncebouncebounce

Right, the scheduling issue becomes very problematic when there isn't a parent home during the day. That, combined with other factors, especially ease and frequence of communication, leads to students that need a tremendous amount of attention and guidance.

Nicole! OMG I am so ready! Hey, can I use your washer/dryer while I'm there?

Finally have pic of new haircut:

Holy fuck. meep.

Cindy, if it weren't for the working/commuting/custody issues I'd love to let Emmett have the kind of summer I had, which was completely unstructured and free and involved me riding my orange spider-bike (with banana seat and sissy bar) all over South Florida and spending my lawn-mowing money on comic books and 50 cent used copies of A Princess Of Mars and Swords Against Deviltry and Solomon Kane and Icees and idle day dreaming.

In fact, I'm thinking of giving Emmett a couple weeks free of camp this summer since I'm not working. Not that he doesn't thrive in camp. He runs around like a maniac and burns off a ton of energy. But some slack time would be great too.

pending my lawn-mowing money

Is there a way for kids Emmett's age to earn money these days (besides from you or his mom)? 'Suela, another librarian and I were talking yesterday about the seemingly clueless university students and adults to come in to interview without knowing what job they've applied for, how to show up on time, how to call in when one is sick, etc. Common sense skills I feel like I began to learn on my paper route, age 11.