It’s been a shorter summer, because of all the snow days earlier this year. We really only had July and August, and we’re down to the last month.
It’s been a summer of changes, and I’m still catching my breath. Starting work was more than a little overwhelming and I’m still not entirely used to it. At the same time, it seems routine now, to get up and go to work in the morning. I still have to go day by day, in terms of working out childcare and who’s going where when and who’s picking up who at what time, and that’s not getting any easier. My job is less hours and more regimented, Marc’s is far more hours, but more flexibility. It’s not unusual for Marc’s whole schedule to change from day to day, and plans for the afternoon can fall apart or suddenly develop at the last minute, requiring a whole new set of plans and adjustments.
The kids have adjusted beautifully to me going to work. Now that I’m two months into it, Julie seems to be gaining equilibrium, and settling into her own routine again. She’s grown up the most, this summer, in so many ways. Going from being the last baby at home, and the one who got the most one-on-one time with me, to being without me for four days a week was a big jump, and then we tacked out moving into her own bed just a few weeks after I started work. It was touch and go for a while there, with a lot of tears and an enormous amount of guilt on my part, but she seems to be better lately. Jessie and Sam were both adamant that they wanted to stay home this summer and not go to camp, and although I’ve heard a few complaints about being bored, there haven’t been that many. Marc and I are able to bounce our schedule around, and somehow we’re all surviving. There’s a lot more minecraft and netflix than I’d like, but there’s legos and lemonade stands, coloring and math sheets too.
My afternoons are a blur of running around, trying to fit in bat mitzvah studying and flute lessons. I have this list in my head of things that need to get done, and I’ve taken to emailing Marc when I want to talk to him about something because we’re always so busy at home that it’s tough to take the time to focus on conversation.
Jessie has started her lessons with the new cantor, and I’m still very much on the fence about religious school for her. The reality is that both my older two don’t like religious school, and I hate the thought of forcing it on them. We’ve definitely decided to not send Sam, but to either find him an on-line option or possibly a tutor. Honestly, I think an on-line class would be best for him, combined with synagogue membership. But with Jessie, I’m still unsure. Julie will start at our local religious school, and I just hope that it’s a more positive experience for her than it was for the older two.
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