Summer vacation, I always have such high expectations and I get so darn excited when the time leads up. High and happy expectations for really fun summer outings, that everyone is going to get along and be happy to spend all this time together, and that I will be able to fit in work between all this awesome time. All rainbow and butterfly like. But really summer vacation, is never a vacation — a vacation literally means a period of rest or recreation. What is this thing they call, “rest”?

Since both my kids started full-time school, I really honestly do get super excited for summer holidays (actually every holiday they have off school) and my expectations are never (well not anymore) that we will be relaxing or resting (because duh) but I always have fun and happily getting along expectations.  And every year, the first two weeks of summer I’m pretty much hit with a hard dose of reality. I had a really rough week last week, well more a week where I couldn’t catch my barrings and I really just didn’t feel like myself (like at all). So I spent a lot of time resetting my expectations back to reality and reminding myself that all of these summer realities are also really awesome (if I just look at them in the right way):

1. The House Is Going To Be Messy, Like The Whole Summer Long.

Our home is always messy and in total disarray because we are (I am) never home to clean it — but it smells like summer sun, sunscreen and it’s kinda great to only see it in our passing as we are off to have fun.

2. The Kids Behavior Isn’t Going To Be….Wonderful, But They Are Still So Freaking Great.

The kids behavior was super stinky, after a year-long stint of picking up not so great behavior here and there at school — we spent the first two weeks working through a lot of that and getting back on track. And a good reminder what great little humans they are, sure they picked up some junky behavior but they also picked up so many awesome new things at school plus they didn’t lose any of their little manners or great behavior either.

3. Cooking In Summer Is For The Birds.

Who want’s to cook? No one, it’s hot and there is no time to prep dinners when you are out all day — but somehow we still eat and it’s usually good food and really what else matters.

4. There Will Be Little To No Time To Work (from home).

When there is time to work, concentration is hard because the kids are home — but I somehow make it work, fitting in some time in the mornings before we head out and working at night when everyone is off to sleep. Basically took about two weeks to adjust my schedule, but it works for now and I don’t have to miss any of the summer “vacation” fun.

6. Summer Nights, Mean A “Crapola” Next Day.

We often stay up too late and then ruin the whole next day. Summer is so short, we might as well take advantage of the long days while we can — and honestly why am I complaining about a few extra PJ days?

7. I Miss You Studio Yoga!

It’s much harder for me to keep a consistent every single day studio practice when the kids are home. I still go but it’s more sporadic, I take the opportunity to go whenever it presents itself and I squeak in a home practice, even 5 minutes whenever I possibly can.

And once I got a handle on all of these realities and found that they actually weren’t bad, things were so much better (I got my groove back). Of course this week is one of the few weeks both kids are in a day camp, so this might very well be the; clean house, warm coffee and actual time to work talking.

We do a lot in the summer, the kids and I are out and about in the city almost everyday, everyone is just happier when they are outside and doing stuff (me included). I am trying to work on a post about some of the things we do, in Toronto and also a general list of awesome things we do — things are different and more active now that the kids are school aged.

How has your summer “vacation” been? Do you have any summer expectations that were squashed once summer started? Or maybe a few realistic expectations that you set? Do Share!

Or if you just totally feel this but don’t have much to say, go ahead and give it a share!