My Crazy Summer by Margaret Hart

I was truly hoping this would be a summer when I could tackle long-term projects at my leisure, finally make headway, and maybe even complete one or two. I thought I might even squeeze in a little relaxation one day a week while my son was at camp. That would have been too easy. Instead of finishing the project of converting hundreds of slides to digital files, or occasionally relaxing poolside, I’ll be racing here and there. I’m certain that this summer will go down in history as one of the craziest summers for our family. Let me explain.

It all starts with my son’s camp schedule. Starting this week, he is enrolled in a three-week, half-day basketball camp. When I pick him up at 12:30, we run home for lunch. Two afternoons a week he goes to tennis camp. And one day a week he continues his music lesson. I’m sure the other days he will beg me to set up play dates. When basketball camp is over, he will start a full day camp for four weeks. We’ll take one week off for a family vacation in late July. Finally some relaxation.

Not so fast. My mother and sister arrive in one week, and will stay with us for at least three, because my sister is having total knee replacement surgery. When she goes back home to Maine for her outpatient rehab, things will calm down a little.

Not so fast. My parents decided to put their house on the market. And I have been informed by my father than when it sells, which he thinks will be within the next 30 days, he will need my husband’s help moving out. If there’s anything in the house that we want, I will have to drive up with a big truck and claim it.

It doesn’t end there. There’s a family get-together in late August with all my husband’s siblings and their families. Driving seven hours, through Philadelphia, Baltimore and D.C., to get to Virginia, will not be fun. But once we get there, my son will have a blast playing with all his cousins. I might even get to relax a little. I won’t have to cook. That’s a plus.

Not so fast. My son goes back to school a few days after we return home from our trip to Virginia, and I’m already anticipating last-minute scurrying around for school supplies, new clothes and shoes, and the usual back-to-school madness.

And did I mention that we’re redoing my son’s bedroom this summer and moving him into what is now our guest room? Before the new furniture arrives in six to eight weeks, we’ll be painting two bedrooms, putting up new window coverings in two bedrooms, and moving furniture around in two bedrooms.

It’s going to be a crazy summer!

Tags: back to school, basketball camp, busy schedules, get-togethers with family, helping parents move, Margaret Hart, summer camp, tennis camp