Does summer ever feel like an abstract concept to you?

Like something that was more fully realized when you were a kid and 

out of school for those precious months?

When I worked full-time, I remember thinking that summers were really no different from any other time of the year because my life didn't significantly alter just because it was hot outside.  Now that I'm at home with my kids, I really expect it to FEEL different. More like the freedom of summer vacation used to.

I so looked forward to summer this year because I was ready for a break after our school year. But I think the feeling I was hoping to recapture is something that can only truly be experienced as a teenager or college student with no real obligations, no bills to pay, houses to clean, kids to feed, etc. 

Don't get me wrong - I am very much enjoying the break from our usual school routine! I find many other aspects of my routine unalterable, however. 

I still have to balance my checkbook and pay bills and move money around.

I still have to plan a menu and prepare meals (although when it's hot outside, I'm so disinclined to cook at all. I prefer a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers to anything hot!!!)

I still have to vacuum and mop, dern it.

I still have heaps and mounds of laundry that constantly cycle in and out of the washer and dryer.

I've had to wake up early to deal with repair guys or organize getting things fixed around the house.And boy, does this summer seem to be that kind of a summer. My whole house seems to be as needy as my children! 

I'm not complaining. Really, I'm not. I'm merely observing that summers as a mom/wife/homeowner are very different from the carefree summers I used to spend as a lifeguard, getting tan and meeting cute guys. 

Although, come to think of it, I still do my fair bit of lifeguarding with the kids, and I am surrounded by some of the cutest guys I've ever seen (Kyle, August and Dorien...).

This could also be brought on by a long-overdue need for a vacation. 

You ever schedule a vacation, only to realize that you should have moved it up a few weeks? Kyle and I are taking our family to Captiva for a week later this month, and we are both counting the seconds!!! It's been far too long since he's been off work and we've all had some quality family time. 

 I am in very much need of some time spent right. here.

Meanwhile, this baby inside me continues to grow and wiggle and captivate our family. I get lots of little hands exploring my belly, hoping for a kick or a squirm. And this baby is happy to perform. I think it already recognizes the voices of its siblings. Just last night, I fell asleep with Dorien's little hands moving across my belly to feel the bumps he was seeing under the skin. He is enamored with little babies and loves to talk to the baby in my tummy and lift up my shirt to see the baby. 

Brooklyn, a self-proclaimed future midwife, has begun practicing on me already. She is great about feeling my belly and guessing what body part she feels. She's also great at reminding me that my glucose test is coming up, and that I need to do my prenatal yoga workouts. 

I'm 26 weeks as of this past Sunday, and I was a week late in taking my belly shot this past month.  Sorry, folks. My excuse is that Kyle was in Chicago that week, and my kids are unreliable at manning a camera. I feel huge and getting huger by the day. Although I find daily relief by swimming laps for 45 minutes each day while the kids swim with Kyle or take swimming lessons. 

I hope you are enjoying your summer, even if it takes a different shape than it once did.