The Kids Are Alright: Shaving Cream Edition

We’ve reached that point in the summer when we can remember nothing else. Was there ever homework? Lunch boxes and uniforms? Field trip forms and late-night research projects?  Impossible. Now we live for long days at home. And lots and lots of silliness.
Which brings me to this, a blog post I wrote last year about this time, to remind myself that the kids are alright. Sure four kids with no schedule and frequent chaos sounds hard, but it’s surprisingly fun.
Even when they find the cans of shaving cream we bought from their school supply list.
And even when they decide to cover one another in the white, foamy stuff.
So, next May, when I look at our open summer schedule, and I wonder what I’ll DO WITH THEM for the 40 hours a week they’re normally at school. Remind me that it’s not about me. The kids will find their own entertainment.

Yes, shaving cream fights are WAY more messy than late-night research projects.

And, yes, homework rarely leaves our yard full of sticky, smelly white foam…

But the kids have so much fun. Except, of course, when they stop having fun. Like here, when Sam asks why in the world the girls would spray shaving cream on him. Hmmmm. Can’t imagine.

Shaving cream fights have to be good for their souls, before we start the school business again, and the kids curl up at 7PM from the utter exhaustion of fast facts and spelling-test stress.

And the utter exhaustion of learning to write their names (looking at this little girl and that NINE-LETTER name that always wears her out).

Or that three-letter name that always wears him out. When we’re there, and I try to remember what we did all summer without name-writing challenges, remind me of this picture. And this little boy who discovered how invigorating a can of shaving cream can be.

 

Oh. And this little boy, always the straight man of the family (besides his beloved Goggy), who is mystified by his siblings. And, maybe a little curious about when they’re all going back to school.
And taking his entertainment with them.
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