flexibility...

Summer is waning...

Already the days are getting shorter

About this time every August, I begin to feel like I'm grasping at air...

warring between the desire to be back on a schedule 

and the desire to keep everyone nearby

This summer has been different in so many ways

the addition of my job has brought on schedule conflicts that we've never had to deal with before.

And while I LOVE my job

I don't love being on opposite schedules with my kids...

I need a Master Scheduler just to find a few minutes a week where 

all of us are in the house at the same time...

It's happened, but not often.

The up sides are obviously a paycheck and being intentional about connecting...

and really, it's all good...just something we're getting used to.

The other day the family had a picnic at the park for my sister's birthday...

my nieces wanted to do something special for their mom, 

so they made us all a Birthday picnic lunch...

BEST EVER 

We reminisced about how long it had been since we'd picnic'd with our kids there...
used to be what we did often, just to get them out of the house and give them something to do

Picnic fare used to be PB&J with no crust, made by moms

Now it looks more like this:

Grilled chicken wraps and veggie salads 

made by Eden...

Also, I'm pretty sure that in the old days

 we used to hover around the merry-go-round

when everyone got on...

just making sure no one fell off.

These days, it looks more like this:

{and us watching on, laughing}

Having grown {and growing} kids is a strange phenomenon...

You never know that it's "the last time" for something

until later...

till they haven't done something for a long time 

and then you see them do it again...

My nieces and nephews surprised my sister with a sentimental token 

priceless with the name of each child...

I think we'll look back on this summer and remember it fondly.

It brought new challenges to adjust to

but it was good to us.

There are about 13 1/2 more days of summer in my house

and I plan to squeeze out as much of it as possible.

It won't always be easy, but we'll have to do what we can...

things like making dinner at 1:50 in the afternoon
 because it's the only time we're all in the same place.

All in the name of being flexible

"If you haven't time to respond to a tug at your pants leg, your schedule is too crowded."

Robert Brault