Oh, this picture so makes our summer look marvelous, doesn’t it?

Bareback pony rides. It’s the epitome of freedom and carefree, is it not? The breeze blowing through your hair from underneath the lovely helmet, just like the old Suave commercials.

They may be riding ponies, but I’m mucking the stalls.

We’re starting Week 2 today of our summer. Lydia’s given up naps which really translates into I’m-only-cute-before-lunch-if-you’re-lucky-and-then-I’m-simply-a-monster-for-the-rest-of-the-day. Evan couldn’t wait until school to end but started with the “I’m bored” routine nearly on Day 1, a phrase that sounds more like nails on a chalkboard than intelligible speech to me. Having all of them home all day somehow translates into a consistently full sink, a lot more laundry (not sure how that happens), an unflushed toilet every time I manage to run away to use it (or hide), no privacy, no quiet, no peace. Yup, I’m mucking away here.

I’m trying to remind myself that these days are precious and fleeting and I should be soaking every minute in. Instead, even they are intentionally distracting me. Drew came into my bedroom the other morning while I was still working on keep my eyelids open and asked me, “What are you going to do with Evan’s room when he goes to college?”

Give me 8 more weeks like the last one and I may have new blueprints for the whole house.