Summer "Haze"

As a working mom, the summer brings its challenges. This is code for my life is one hot mess right now. Just throw a big top over my house and queue the circus music. I don't have to tell you who does the juggling clown act.

I'm generally a pretty organized person but it sucks to discover at 11pm the night before you're bringing your daughter to summer camp that you forgot to have your doctor fill out the health form. Crap! Nothing like emailing the pediatrician at midnight asking for a favor. Thankfully, she came through with a note - and on a Sunday morning. I owe her something for that...I think she'd probably ask that I delete her email from my address book.

To make matters worse, and on the same evening, our smoke alarm in the master bedroom began to "chirp" loudly at 4:30 am. Since we have a cathedral ceiling in that room, hubby decided it would be too difficult to fetch a ladder and instead headed downstairs for the couch. My daughters didn't hear a thing over the peaceful humming of their air conditioners. I squeezed my head between two pillows and hoped for the best. My misshapen head and the bags under my eyes the next morning were proof that my method was the least effective.

At any rate, my oldest is off to camp for 2 weeks and I'm already missing her. Kind of like in a relationship; the things that drive you crazy when they are here are the same things you actually miss the most when they are gone. Well except the singing to Keisha's "Grow a Pear." I definitely don't miss that.

So now I get to figure out how to manage my younger daughter's schedule which includes indoor skydiving and tubing down the Saco river all the while I'm not doing anything as remotely fun. I also have to work in sending letters and care packages to camp, supervising the summer reading list, and managing a portfolio of clients who don't give a rat's ass about the summer reading list.

I guess I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love the weather but sometimes hate the unpredictability of the family schedule. And I don't know if it's me but it always feels like everyone else is having the best, most carefree summer of their lives while I'm just managing to tread water. In fact, it is just occuring to me that there must be a slew of forms to fill out for that upcoming skydiving trip.

Don't have a clue where the paperwork for that puppy is right now. Queue the circus music again.