Slowing down as we head back to (co-op) school

Often I hear about summer ending, school starting again and moms having more time to themselves as a result, since their kids having been home all summer long. Well...that isn't going to be the case for our family. For us, it is kind of the opposite situation. This summer, the kids have been home all summer long. But, while they have gone to the beach with their grandparents and to the park with their babysitter, I have been working. While I don't work full-time (I own a business and try to work part-time only...*try* being the operative word here!), I still feel like I have missed out on summer. Sure, we have taken some fun weekend vacations and we were gone for a week to Washington DC for a family wedding, but I usually end up taking my laptop with me (ugh). My part-time work has become more and more full-time. I am not complaining about the work, because I love what I do. But...the long days of summer just feel...well, long. Instead of long, I could use a little *lazy* right about now. I long for those long, lazy days of summer everyone talks about and that I remember having once upon a time - you know, reading a book in the hammock. Or heading to the beach for the day. Or just hanging out with the kids at home, playing, cooking, whatever. Or...how about...doing nothing!

Thanks goodness, I have school to look forward to. You see, my kids......

go to a parent participation (co-op) preschool. And this year, I am a "triple parent," having all 3 kids in the school. I will be working 2 and sometimes 3 days per week in their classroom. This is how the classroom duties line up: my 4.5 year old twins will be in their class 4 afternoons a week (I have to work in the classroom 2 of those days - usually it is only once a week, but having twins....it is double the work for this mommy!) and my 2-year-old will in a 1 day a week class, in which I have to work once every other week in the classroom.

This might seem crazy or stressful - the loss of work time (paid work, that is) due to the time I have to spend in the classroom, the schedules to keep track of - and I have no doubt that it will have its moments of stress, but I chose this scenario for a reason. As I experienced last year at this preschool, the parent participation piece of this whole thing forces me to slow down. Cell phone are not allowed (no twittering during class time!) and you are meant to just *be* with the kids for a good 2.5 hours. I have gotten to know my tendency to pile more and more things on my plate - for me, slowing down has to be a conscious decision.

I am also planning on biking to school with the kids - my twins' preschool class is outdoors at Vasona Park in Los Gatos for the first 6 weeks and I live 4 miles down the walking/bike path that goes to the park. I can't wait to get some fresh air, unplug and spend some quality time with the kids on a regular basis. Splashing in the creek, finding critters, going on hikes, learning through simple exploration. I am looking forward to learning too...and maybe even learning to be a little bit lazy.

Original Silicon Valley Moms Blog post. When Linsey isn't trying to be lazy, she's busy at Me Too You, Whereas, Mad About Multiples and probably too many other places...and she's trying very hard to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n.