A near perfect day and a request for help.

So yesterday was great (just did frozen waffles and some fruit in the am - don't judge me ;-) - tired of weekend food clean-up :-). Olivia served mass for the last time (so a wee bit sad). Me and Lil went and, though Lil acted up a little bit, I saw some friends there, it was a pretty day, I got some time with just my girls. We shopped Trader Joe's afterwards - took a tour of our beautiful new gym, Urban Active Fitness - Olivia got her photo ID, we sampled smoothies, checked out the babysitting area, talked to a personal trainer, etc. We brought everyone lunch home, chatted with the neighbors then headed to the pool for a couple of hours of swimming (Olivia opted out but did have brownies baked when we got home) - then... home to grill carne asada with fresh tortillas, homemade guacamole, cool chopped English cucumber, jasmine rice, chopped red onion and buttery bib lettuce fresh from the farm (I opted for a veggie option - my carnivores loved the grilled meat). Late evening, we watched The Next Food Network Star. See - it does NOT take that much to make me happy :-).

I'm dragging a bit this morning. Lil was restless last night (mosquito bites, I think) - Milo was doing his "I'm overly tired so I can't sleep" thing (up until midnight!) and something woke Enzo in the middle of the night, and he was confused and thought I should put Toy Story back on for him (from way earlier in the evening), so... I was up and down all night. Lil sometimes needs a cup of milk to get back to sleep - Milo had to use the bathroom - Enzo was "loud talking" like it was the middle of the day... Anyway - up early - hubby to gym - boys watching Noggin and playing the little piano in their room. Lil up and cranky but went back to sleep - Olivia off to swim team. Boys currently demanding vanilla milk, waffles and the transformer that they left with their water squirters in the water table last night. Next order of business... COFFEE!!! Though... on the bright side today - I DO think I get my van back from the body shop (crippling not to have transportation).

Above all, this summer, I'm on a mission to make my kids more self-sufficient. I find that, if I don't pay attention, I will consistently be the one who fetches toys that the boys have left upstairs - become a short order cook for all the kids who eat different things at different hours - change shirts at their request because they've gotten sticky or dirty or wet - pick up toys that they spilled themselves - give in to fickle preschoolers, whining for yet another toy because the one I just ran the stairs for was not good enough - fetching lunch THEN a drink THEN "dessert" THEN more lunch because they're still hungry... I mean some of this, a mother does - ya know? BUT ... I should not have to run the stairs 10X while able-bodied preschoolers lounge waiting for games and toys to be brought to them - I should not have to forgo my own lunch to make ANOTHER for my army of picky eaters - I should not have to pick up discarded sippy cups filled with juice residue everyday from all over the house - I should not have to give up my bedroom to kids who don't like the movie that is on in their room and THEN have to give up the family room because they now want to play Wii; there are days that I do not have even one corner of the house to myself (again, I realize some of this comes with the territory, but...). And... these things are not one time issues.... they are ongoing and consistent realities in my day. One day, I recall not having even 10 min. to myself without a food, clothing, toy, bed making, fight break up or other request. I got NOTHING done. Laundry sat half-folded on the bed - dinner was burned - my lunch sat on the counter half-eaten all afternoon - I was half-dressed all day..... Just no way to live. Add to that the fact that my hubby is a clothes piler (this am, I watched him try to pick through the 6 ft. pile of discarded clothing for a pair of jeans to wear, obviously realizing that he had thrown all of them out of his closet and onto his "piling chair' in our bedroom) - my middle schooler puts ALL of her dishes in the sink all the time - the baby is clingy right now - the boys fight and need to be occupied constantly..... This will change. I promise you - by the end of the summer, I will have a more functional, less stressful household (for me anyway ;-). I mean, sometimes I am actually ashamed that I let them dictate my timeline - as I race out of the house in pajamas because they see their friends and IMMEDIATELY want to play outside - I hang up with a friend because one of them needs his juice RIGHT NOW and is conjuring a tantrum to prove it - or give up valuable task time because they have decided they can no longer get dressed by themselves and need me to do it, so... later, when I should be enjoying their company, playing with them, spending 5 min. on my own hobby, I am frustrated, scrambling to get things done, yelling at them or others..... I guess this is all part of my "mission organization" this summer. Much needed changes will be made :-).

Photos: Some images from last summer - picnic at my brother, David's, house - hanging in historic Peninsula, Ohio with my Mom (near her house - near one of my old high schools, actually) - Olivia and pals, Kelly and Olivia, at a swim meet last year - funny picture of Enzo in Daddy's "vacation hat" (though he thinks he looks like Indiana Jones) - Lil Lil with ice cream in her cool, sparkly black onesie by Childish Clothing .... Looking forward to more fun this year :-).

Haven't heard from a lot of you lately - email, FB, here, etc. What do you have planned this summer? I'm interested..... And... any suggestions for making the fam more self-sufficient? There are days that I am STUMPED. Good thoughts for a good week, all.