1 1/2 hours

It took her exactly one and a half hours to declare (in the signature whiny voice) "I'm bored".  Seriously, 1:30 pm May 25, 2011.  It had been three minutes since she had finished playing a game with her sister.  Thirty minutes since she finished telling me all about her last day of elementary school.  Summer "vacation" is not going to be easy.

I have a list of things I plan on doing with them this summer.  Small and large ideas to make these next few weeks as fun as possible.  But, it won't be non-stop action.  I still have my own job to do.  Maya still needs a nap almost every day.  Our bank account doesn't allow for outings every day.  So, there will be lots of "in between" time.  Is she going to complain through it all?!

We will go to at least two zoos, and I'll have to remind myself not to leave one of them in the monkey exhibit.  We will (much to my flanks dread) head to the local pool a few times, and I'll have to take deep breaths as they whine that I'm not paying enough attention to whatever they're trying to show me for the hundredth time.  Because no one cares that the little one can't be left alone for a second.  We will go bowling and miniature golfing, and I'll have to deal with at least one of them pouting that they lost.  We will go to the park, and friends houses, and lunches, and anything else I can think of to occupy their time.  And, it can be assured, someone will be unhappy the whole time.  Finally, at the end of summer, we will spend two blessed weeks at the beach.  And, my fingers are blue from being crossed so hard that this summer will be as good as the last.  Please, oh please, let them love it as much this time.

It is very possible that this will be the last summer that the four of us spend together from beginning to end.  At any minute, Sofia will declare that I am not cool enough for her.  She'll decide that so-and-so's mom is much more appropriate, and she'll spend all her time there.  I anticipate many moments this summer when I'll think of packing her bags and dropping her off at so-and-so's house, just to get a break.  She's a pre-teen, and I have decided that's not fun.  But, mostly, I'll savor this summer with the girls.  There are some big changes heading our way, and I want to appreciate this time with them before our world is changed forever. 

So, I'll do everything I can to ignore the whining and pouting and sighing.  And, I'll press forward with my plans for an eventful summer "vacation". I'll work every day at getting them to smile and laugh.  I'll even try really hard to limit my own whining and pouting and sighing.  So that, hopefully, one and half hours into the school year, she'll be saying (in the signature whiny voice) "I wish I could be with my mama".