I love working from home, but summer vacation presents its own challenges. I end up working around home and my kids during camps and other activities. Every year I somehow manage to make it work, but here is what our first official day of summer vacation looked like:
I wake up early to get a little work done.
Breakfast.
My boys do their chores, math worksheets and journaling while I work.
Threaten silence during a phone call.
Begin phone call.
Who is blowing up a balloon and releasing it? It sounds like someone passing gas, which explains the giggles. I snap my fingers in the air and make pointing gestures indicating they need to go to another room. My boys think this is funnier than the balloon, but they accommodate and head to the basement to play.
Snack.
An argument about name-calling. “Stop calling him ‘cute’!” I yell.
Boy 2 –the reporter–returns to me and says something about brother kicking him.
OKAY, TIME OUT!!
Snack.
Bike ride and play at the park.
Snack.
Discover giant dinosaur-sized moth at the neighbor’s house. This thing can’t be native to Kansas, can it? Turns out it is.
Lunch.
Swimming pool/snacks.
Back home – boys fight about who is going to shower first.
Send both to backyard to play so I can work.
Boy 2 gets mad at Boy 1 about something and throws the key to the fence across the yard.
Boy 2 thankfully finds the key to avoid being grounded the next day.
Sit down to work for a little bit. Two minutes later, lots of screaming coming from outside. Is someone trying to steal my kids?!
No, Boy 2 accidentally let dogs loose while trying to help a friend out of the backyard.
Dogs had a blast chasing something across the street, but thankfully didn’t get run over.
Get them safely corralled.
More complaints about hunger–how much food do these two really need to consume?!
I have a headache that is about the size of that moth.
Time for dinner. And yes, they eat every bite despite the snacks all day.
Is it bedtime yet?
Yay! Bedtime – I sit down to work, but each child pops back out of bed with various concerns and issues. Hubs has strategically placed himself in our bedroom to intercept escapees, but they are sneaky! How can they not be exhausted?!
I know we’ll settle into a routine soon, but thank goodness I scheduled camps and have babysitters for the summer.
Do you work from home? How do you manage summer vacation?
Oh yes- the challenge. This will be my first summer working out of the home- so I am wondering how I will find time to write once I get home & they need entertainment! Great moth!! Gorgeous.
That will be a different kind of challenge for sure, Sue. Good luck this summer and I know you’ll still find a way to write. We writers just can’t help ourselves! 🙂 Besides you must write because I selfishly enjoy reading what you write!
So true about not helping ourselves- thinking about it even when we are not writing. You are too kind.