Having to Parent Again

The six weeks of day camp are over for my son and there are three weeks left until school. I have to turn myself back into Mrs. Fun Times Coordinator after having a lazy, do-whatever summer with my toddler. My son is bored easily and frequently tells me so. He craves activities and other kids. I am trying to plan one fun outing a day and trips to the playgrounds in my neighborhood in between. Errands are pretty minimal now because every errand run with my kids ends the same way. My daughter shrieks like a banshee to be able to walk and then takes off running and laughing maniacally. My son sits on the ground crying and wailing for all the candy, toys, and junk food that I don't let him have. He's never been spoiled in his life, but he certainly acts like he has. How do you haul ass after one child when the other is immobile on the floor whining? I have yet to figure that mystery out.

My son has learned some interesting things at camp this year. The first are pop songs from the 70s and 80s. I don't know if they played radio for the kids or some older kid sang these songs, but it is strange to here him constantly sing Mama Mia around the house. His other favorite song is Livin' on a Prayer. Since I much prefer Guns n Roses to Bon Jovi, that song is a huge earworm to me. Maybe he's singing that song as an anthem for the rest of the summer; that we'll make it, I swear.

My son also asked me what does the middle finger mean and even demonstrated it for me. He said that some kid kept doing it all the time. As much as I relish flipping people off, I've always been careful never to do that in front of my son. I tried to tell him multiple times that it's just bad words, but he didn't want to accept it. I tried to ignore him repeatedly asking me after my explanation wasn't good enough. Finally in the height of exasperation I said "It means fuck you, Buddy Lee, it means fuck you." I know that that little teaching moment will land me straight to the top of the annals of Fine Parenting, but at least his curiosity was sated.

Hopefully I can manage this summer without cracking up. There are messes to be cleaned, tantrums to be had, toddlers to chase, whining to ignore, super swell activities to plan, and a million snacks to be made. It seems like too much for a slacker like me, I'm already wiped out by naptime and my patience is totaled. Do they make a day camp for moms?