I’m taking a break from the cyber madness. You know, we lost six weeks (more?) this summer to rain, and that sort of set me on the wrong path for how I wanted to be a summer parent (though, truthfully, I was already headed down that path). I wanted to have a schedule — albeit a free one. I wanted to have us all learn something every day. Instead, we wander around the house, directionless. I spend too much time doing nothing in particular on the computer (hello, Facebook!) while the children do nothing in particular all over the house (and make a mess while doing it). And so, with just a few weeks left in summer, I’m stopping. I need to pull back. My house is a mess, my list of summer goals is unaccomplished, I rarely exercise, and my children spend way too much time with the too-old-for-them neighborhood children.
We have a book that was Dave’s when he was little, called The Sandwich. It’s an early reader, with only eleven words, repeated in various repetitive sentences. Two children make a sandwich with “more of this, more of that, less of this, less of that. And some bread.” My life is like that sandwich. I need to do less of this (digital puttering), less of that (daily blog posting), and more of this. All this life stuff. And some bread.
I wrote this post out longhand first, and it was bliss.
I have a few saved up posts in the hopper, and I’m going to schedule them over the next week or so. I’ll still check email, but there will be days when I don’t turn the computer on.
And I’ll leave you with this random tip that has been wanting to be a full blog post for a while: for Friday night dinner, make a starch- or grain-based salad to go with the meal (like quinoa salad, or potato salad, or tabbouleh). Then, all weekend, you will be happy to have the leftover salad to go with your sandwich or to mix with greens for lunch.
Ok! Let the breather begin! I’ll be back when school starts (or perhaps sooner if I have something especially blogworthy to say).
Enjoy your breather!
Be well and enjoy!
I was just having my end of summer panic…”what have I done all summer long??? moment” when I read your post…glad to know it’s not just me feeling aimless and directionless wandering around my house somedays while my children….are also wandering around the house making messes….are we having fun??? did we learn anything? I don’t know…anyway…good for you for taking a break…now I’m going back to my mess!
I so adore your blog, Julie. And, of course, totally understand the need for a break.
Well done on all accounts.
(I take off two weeks at the end of the month. 🙂
wonderful, wonderful. thanks for the reminder. signing off myself today!
Good for you, Lilly! Good for you! I did the same sort of thing about a year ago. Then . . . ran a 5K race, lost 10 pounds without trying, got hooked on not a single TV show all year, got my family eating healthier (Bill lost 3 pants sizes, too)read some fiction – which I never do – got my brother to run a 5K race with me in March, cleaned out years worth of my old clothes and the girls stuff and gave it to people who needed it and spent more individual time with each of the girls – AND Bill – and now I’m training to run a half marathon in October – at the same event that I ran the 5K last year. So, again, I say, “Good for you, Lilly! Good for you.” I love you, Neen (I’m sorry, if that’s taboo on blogs, I’m more of a lurker than a regular participant.)