Signs of Summer

Hazy cool mornings. Blooming flowerbeds. Ice Cream trucks. Sprinklers. Water skiers. All images of summer, right? The picture above is one that I like to show as to how I THINK my house looks. The summertime image that I hope people see when they visit. But the truth is that around my house there are other images that scream summertime much louder than the ones I would rather look at.

I took a walk around this morning and snapped some shots of Signs of Summer in my house. I assume these are fairly universal.. oh dear Lord, please let these be universal! I see this stuff everyday, so much that I don't flinch anymore. Sort of like someone who lives at the beach and might overlook the majestic scene out their window..ok, alright... it's nothing like that. But these are things so common that they don't affect me anymore. Take a look. Anything familiar?

Someone was kind enough to get the 4 yr old a snack. It wasn't me and I didn't give permission because the two bags of chips and cup of milk ruined his appetite for lunch which was mere minutes away. And, hey, Mystery Kid, thanks for cleaning up the mess, too! ( They are my children, they are fluent in sarcasm)

Bargain ice treats... not only do we get a box of 100 for mere pennies, we get a workout picking up the plastic wrappers that end up in the oddest places.

Juice box straws. Somewhere there is a small plastic straw sleeve that this came in. Somewhere else is the empty crushed box or Capri-sun pouch. The three are never found together after the 20 seconds it takes a kid to suck down the contents.

I have a chewer. He has graduated from chewing his shirt sleeves and collar to chewing bottle caps. He leaves these around in places that do not even resemble the trash can. I'm glad it isn't gum on my ottoman or in the yard, but ew.. yuck! This is gross.

The TV is on. The TV is on a show the kids adore and I can't stand. The TV volume is high. The TV volume is where the kids like it and I can't stand it. I am in this room. There are no children in this room right now. They leave it like this. I'm glad they are off doing something that isn't sitting still letting Sponge Bob melt their minds. I'm not so thrilled that they leave the TV blaring when they leave the room.

This is the scene in my kitchen a mere 10 minutes after I have cleaned it. The counters were clear, the sink was empty and I went upstairs to fold laundry. The kids made themselves a snack. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that they can fend for themselves and know how to get dishes into the sink and trash sorta near the can. They are a work in progress and obviously our next step is cleanup.

I guess the main thing I took from my photo safari this morning was that among the carefully prepared images my home may present, my kids are works in progress. Like the flowerbeds that need to be constantly weeded and trimmed. The rooms that need dusting and care to maintain them-- the kids require far more attention, energy and time. And I know that I get more out of spending that time, attention and energy raising my ever evolving children than staring at the perfectly presented still life's the world has to offer.