Take it easy...

(This, to me, is the ultimate summer song. It evokes the happiest memories of my 10 summers at camp in the Adirondack Mountains.)

The boys and I return to Newport this afternoon. Older sister is currently en route to Maine. It will be quieter, much quieter with just the boys. You see, take any one individual out of the mix and the decibel level decreases dramatically. Yes, I know the girl has left and you might wonder, boys, quiet? Yes indeed. Girls can be loud too. Very loud! And two, I have learned over the years, is so very much less work than three. It's less than half of the work that three requires. I mean seriously, whatever was I thinking to go ahead and have that third kid? (Just kidding Alexander, although you alone exhaust me!)

The boy girl thing and the age differences makes finding things to do that entertain and interest all three like very difficult. impossible. The boys play well together and the older two entertain themselves well together, but when it comes to entertaining the troops en masse there is simply no pleasing everyone and someone usually gets let down or left out. The oldest, my girl, always has to be goinggoingoing. She gets bored at home. Cannot stand to be at home. The boys will entertain themselves anywhere and can always find something to do. This may be an age thing. At 12, the oldest girl wants nothing to do with playgrounds or anything remotely child like and fun. Middle boy, as I said, is happy to do anything.

I seem to have a great deal of trouble lately shifting from complete laziness - inability to drag my old tired self out of bed - to my warp speed trying to do and see and get everything done. This weekend will be about finding that happy middle place. This weekend will be about slowing down. This weekend will be about pausing to listen to the sea in that pretty shell.

So this weekend will be about me and the boys. While I will miss my daughter incredibly - She will be away from me for two weeks - I will spend this weekend focusing on my boys. We will slow down. We will slow down almost till we stop. We will go to the beach and to as many playgrounds as we can finds. We will eat ice cream and swim in the pool. We may do nothing at all. We may go for long nature walks. We may go bird watching. We will relax and take it easy. After all, that's what summer is all about!

Wishing you all a slow and take it easy weekend and very Happy Fourth of July!

XOXO