First Week of Summer

This summer I may kill myself. Being the mom of two really great kids (I keep telling myself this over and over in some pathetic attempt to convince myself of it) comes with an innate list of challenges. From the time they were little babies, each stage of their development would present a lesson for me, the mom, to learn. And each stage I had to recognize the lesson, overcome the challenges, and adapt to a new parenting strategy. It was like living in a constant state of war... My life was the game, Risk. I had to make sure I had plenty of power coupled with the strategic placement of that power, or risk being taken over by a six year old boy. As the years have flown by it has become easier to predict the battles.. but it hasn't made the battles any easier to fight. So back to my opening statement; school has been out for three days. Three days down, approximately 70 days to go. I refuse to actually pull out the calendar and start crossing off each day with a giant black sharpie marker because I think it will just make it seem as if the summer is lasting longer. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe I will put a giant calendar on the wall of the den and do the countdown.. Back to School! like I did when Jonathan was homeschooling. Get those cute yellow sunshine numbers. Instead, what I am doing is trying to fill each long, hot Yuma day with activities. Try getting a nine year old girl and a thirteen year old boy on the same page as far as fun summertime activities. Heck, try getting a nine year old girl and a thirteen year old boy on the same page as far as whether or not the sky is blue. It's not easy. So far I have the nine year old girl doing yoga camp, gymnastics camp, and All Girls Summer Reading Club at the library. The thirteen year old boy is continuing with his year round swim team. That's it. Did I mention he's thirteen? Ah yes, the age where your parents become complete morons and you can't figure out why they are still expecting to know what you are doing and who you are talking to. Fools. In the midst of this wonderful adventure we call parenting, I am also still teaching yoga and personal chefing for clients. This blog was originally supposed to be used to promote my business, Cassie Marie, Personal Chef, so I will talk about that some. But I have a feeling its going to be more about the super fun summer we will have. ;o) Today I did make an awesome salad for lunch. This was after I had a girl, a boy and a larger boy (husband) all hovering in the kitchen cackling like hens about how they were starving and opening and shutting the fridge and the pantry over and over because we all know how food magically appears, prepared and ready to eat with no effort required, when you open and shut a fridge door seventeen times.

Avocado and Chicken Salad
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