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Now for Shawn’s report

Summer, summer, summer time, oooh, summer time. Gotta sit back and unwind…what? Unwind? Will Smith was definitely singing to the single, no children, care free 20-somem y.o. folk because summer for me is off the hook.

I’m blogging to you right now with a huge headache (not from a self-created drama, but from less than 4 hours of sleep) and no contacts (my eyes are too red to put them in and my glasses are in the shop) and my to-do list is longer than my Walmart receipt. Why? While everyone else is celebrating summer, sending children off to a variety of summer activities, taking in relaxing vacations, I’m getting ready for a pilgrimage. A 5 week pilgrimage back home.

See, it starts with my husband’s fraternity’s annual boat ride in Detroit. He couldn’t miss it and I understand. The day after the boat ride, he goes on a business trip to Houston. Upon his return, we go to his mother’s family reunion in Detroit. After that we celebrate his grandmother’s 86th b-day on the 4th of July. (When the kids were little, he told them that the fireworks were to celebrate Grandma Tootsie’s b-day. Hey, it works for me.) 2 days later, we celebrate Niara’s b-day. My girl, the bestest girl in the whole wide world, (which is one of the lines in her theme song. She’s the only one who has a song. It’s so fitting to her. If you ever meet her…) is turning 4! I remember her birth like it was yesterday. Now she’s losing her baby fat, sprouting those long legs, developing a commanding and creative personality. WOW! God has great faith in me because only He can help me to do this parenting. Without Him, I’d be jacking up a WHOLE bunch of lives.

So far we’ve only completed the activities planned on my husband’s side. My people are there too and they have a load of activities that they are planning.

From weekend trip proposals to places like Toronto (great shopping), Chicago ( have family there, great museums and shopping too), Cedar Point/Sea World Ohio ( “Mommy, Nanny said that she would take us if its okay with you and Auntie said she would ride the roller coasters with us and all you have to do is watch the babies.” Hello, where is my break?), Niagara Falls (”The kids have never been.”), to driving all over town visiting friends and family, there will be no sitting back and unwinding for me.

Detroit is home and we believe so much in family and keeping our children in the loop, we make the sacrifice. Oh, I bet you don’t feel sorry for me. Well, you should.

See, I run a small non-profit organization. The pay is atrocious, but the benefits are good yet inconsistent. I couldn’t even list what I do as manger of my family on a 5 page resume. I would have to do a short film, so that the next fool who tells me that I don’t work or that I’m wasting my valuable education because society isn’t benfitting while I’m at home can watch it and swallow their tongue which would be covered in ignorance and stupidity. Seven people are involved in this organization. Seven.

When you got seven people that you have to pack for (ok, six but my husband’s clothes did need to be washed plus he has to be remined of all of the activities like ‘Bring a suit for the family reunion banquet.’ or ‘Bring the real comfortable sandals just in case we go to Cedar Point.’ or ‘Shawn, have you seen my…’) and packing is not just clothes–it’s medicine (kids got allergies, asthma, exczema), it’s computer games (I use the compuer as an educational tool and on the super hot days or the rainy days, I prefer it over television), it’s snacks for the 8 hour drive, it’s books (”Oh, you not gon’ sit around all day and not exercise your brain. Then come August, you won’t know an A from a Z.”). Are you wondering why I got no sleep? Between up and down the 45 stairs (90 stairs round trip) for 12 loads of laundry, I think I lost 10 pounds, a pair of underwear and Niara’s swimsuit. And some sleep. In the tradition of the great educators of old…And that’s my report on what I do every summer.

© 2006 DahGurl.