Swimming to the top

I feel very much as if I have been bumbling about under the surface of the water, thinking I was breathing air when in fact, I was sucking in water. Not drowning, but definitely not in the light of day.

Life has gotten the better of us in the past few weeks. It is so easy to get caught up in the very "dailiness" of life, particularly Monday through Friday. And then the weekends become a blur of catching up on chores, sleep, food, family - and then, just like that, Monday arrives and the hamster wheel begins spinning again.

Summer is rapidly approaching - my clan of boys begin their summer on June 16. It actually marks a rather interesting segue in our lives. My eldest will be leaving middle school and readying to enter high school in the fall. That will result in having one or more children in each branch of the school system - two in elementary, one in middle, and one in high school. That has all the makings of an adventure. Add to that: all four in football, other extracurriculars, added studies for the eldest, possible junior Navy ROTC, and you know - life in general - and September will be nothing if not "interesting".

But for now, it is the last day of May, and we have 12 days of this school year remaining. I have work that has been my pleasure to do for the last six weeks (new job that began April 20), work I find simultaneously interesting and educational, with a little bit of frustration with "the system" thrown in. And that is not a bad mix. Working from home is proving to be an excellent option for me, in spite of the sometime distraction from my tasks in the shape of household chores and family members who want my attention. But again - it is not a bad mix.

I am compiling a list of most excellent children's books and a couple of mighty fine items I highly recommend for your family. Believe me when I say that with four boys, my husband and myself, we do manage to find a way to "test drive" various items. Our findings are exceedingly reality based, trust me on that.

But for now, it is a Sunday morning, and I have two dogs that are looking beseechingly at me to take them outside. And offspring eating Captain Crunch on the couch, which is technically a no-no (not the cereal, but the dining on the couch). Breakfast for the rest of the clan remains a hope, as well - perhaps my husband will deliver on THAT one. We can only hope.