is the livin' really easy?

Well, it's summer time so it must be right? Well, actually yes, the livin' is pretty easy around chez Nemethy (for the most part...). It is at this time of year over all others that I am most thankful I made the decision to quit work. Check with me on any random snowy/rainy/freezing day in January and I might not be so sure.

(Now, before I go any further a disclaimer stating that quitting work was the right decision for me and our family. This post implies nor intends judgement of families who choose any other course. There are many many many good reasons to go out to work and money might be the least of them. The concept of a "coffee break" and general lack of small children are greater. I feel the need to explain myself a little on this point as the decision of who works and how much is one of the toughest issues most families face and no one needs any one else judging their choices. And while I can't guarantee you won't be judged, I can guarantee it won't be by me.)

Okay, where was I...right, quitting work...boy, that was fun. Anyway, summer time and the stay at home Mum. A match made in heaven? Mostly. I could write an uber fair post filled with the pros and cons of how kids can best spend their summers (I'm not going to) but I know for me, as an actual person and not just as a Mum, not going out to work in the summer rocks. There, I said it. I selfishly enjoy that for the first time in my adult life, I have a tan. An awesome tan. A tan that I did not lie around working on but a tan that just happened because I spend a ton of time outside (wearing sunscreen...mostly...). I wear flip flops almost every day. I have eaten more than one giant freezie. I am hot (in a temperature sense) and happy.

But what of the children you may ask. Well, they're pretty happy too. Me being home means that they get a relaxing summer that I think really feels like a break. Lots of time to wake up late and hang out in their jammies. Plenty of time at the pool and riding their bikes. It is synergistic that the lack of need for awesomely cool summer camps is balanced by the fact that we cannot afford such camps anyway. They have both enjoyed a little free day camp and some free tennis lessons but for the most part their days have been pretty unstructured.

So, are they bored? Truthfully yes, sometimes. Gabriel told me the other day that he was in fact "sick and dying from boredom". But he's still with us so I guess that passed. That's the downside of no awesomely cool camps and a well structured routine - potential boredom. But you know what, I read just the other day that boredom is the hip new trend (Elle Canada July 2011 issue). "Boredom is Back!" they say. And without any effort at all, I am exposing my children to the trend that all the hipsters are dying to try. Genius. Except for hearing "I'm bored I'm bored I'm bored I'm bored" from time to time. And of course, the potential risk of "dying". I guess the article was in Elle, not Today's Parent so the awesomeness of boredom may only apply to fashionable, over-worked 20-somethings and not to potentially under programed small children.

So that's our summer, unstructured, outdoors, active and yes, a little bored (but remember, that's potentially a good thing now). But hopefully no one will be bored in August - we're off to sunny (please, please be sunny) Nova Scotia and PEI for 3 weeks. And that right there is what truly shows me that the quitting decision was the right one. The potential for multiple glorious weeks with my lovely and muchly missed family. A chance for four great kids to experience being cousins without Skype. Chances for so many things really. I can't wait. See you in September!