To Do This Summer

School’s wrapped up for another year (to resume in June thanks to some crazy mom/teacher who thinks it’s a good idea to keep learning year-round), and the sensation is conflicting.  A break sounds absolutely wonderful; the “school’s out to do” list is daunting; and I crave to write something but am agonizing word by word over the pointlessness of the lines appearing before my eyes.

I’ve got some summer goals (not so big on New Year’s resolutions, but shorter term goals are less formidable):

1 - Beef up my juggling skills.  Yes, real juggling with three balls.  (I know, this is so important, right?  Life-changing really, and the first thing that comes to mind when I think “What do I need/want to do this summer?”)

2 - Gotta clean up my schooling supplies that are in mad disarray in the pantry, on my bedroom floor, on the bookshelf, all over the counter.  Some days having a “classroom” sounds really nice.  

3 - Wash my walls.  They’re yucky.  My sons are such dirty creatures and they touch everything… with their hands and feet.  I’ll employ their help on this one.  Maybe if we tackle (scrub, scour, wipe, wash, cleanse, hose down, disinfect) the house section by section we’ll get it done before the end of August without having to pull any all-nighters.

4 - Think of some way to keep these boys busy… besides our light load of summer school and heavy load of wall washing.  Seriously, I’ve got a 12-year-old who has taken to loafing.  He lays in the recliner, then wanders the kitchen and opens the fridge, then sits down on the couch and sighs.  I send him out to empty the compost bucket or wash windows or some other mundane productive task but I need a list (a long list) to keep him occupied now.  Times like this I wish we lived closer to some of our dear ranching friends — I’m sure they could find something for idle hands to do in summer!

5 - And of course the yard and garden always offer something “to do”… at least they will when it stops snowing with regularity.

6 - Blog.  Hone this dwindling writing skill of mine.  Grasp onto inspired ideas and articulate them with eloquence and wisdom.