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To say that I am in give-up-mode this time of year would quite literally be the overstatement of the year, y'all. As the number of our goodbyes with Jeff grow fewer, we can feel summertime at our fingertips!
Last week was the most unproductive week, leaving me feeling completely bummed out but also overwhelmed for this week. I showed up to my nephew’s two year old birthday party without a gift - and not only did I not bring one, but it didn’t even cross my mind to bring one until we were on our way to the party. Worst. Aunt. Ever.
For me, laziness only leads to more of the same and when summer is right around the corner, all I want to do is be lazy. I want to read, binge watch netflix, eat chips + salsa and hang out in the sunshine. But alas - it is NOT summer yet and May comes with an influx of activity, to do's and obligations!
I decided we might all need a little survival guide to get through the last month (or two) of school! We are almost there, y'all - let's finish strong together!
Stop Snoozing
Maybe you don't have this problem, but I certainly do. I need to stop pretending that it's already time for sleeping late and start getting my stuff done. My alarm goes off at 5:30 every single week day. Oh, y'all. The stuff I could get done if I would just put my dang feet on the floor as soon as that alarm goes off.
I always think "just once" but that just once turns into 45 minutes of hitting my alarm and dozing back off. Here's the deal with snoozing. The more I do it, the easier it becomes.
If I just decided to get up immediately - if snoozing was just not an option - my day would start off so much smoother. I'd get a great quiet time in, I'd get a significant amount of writing time in and my dishwasher would be empty before my kids got up. Maybe I'd even be dressed!
When there isn't much writing going on here, you can bet that it's because I've been snoozing instead of writing, and that just stinks because I want you to keep coming back to read something new!
So let's stop snoozing! Let's decide what time is best to get up for us and then STICK TO IT. Let's start holding each other accountable to do this! You can follow me over on Instagram and we can "story" it together! (I snagged a 5:57 wakeup time today!)
Make a Plan… & Stick to It
The last month of school can be crazy busy - busier than December - and it ALWAYS sneaks up on me. It’s as if I know it's true in my head, but then I push it to the back and act like there’s no way it’ll be as busy as last year - but it never fails. It always is.
The best thing I can do is make a plan - and then keep with it.
Write things down immediately in my calendar, because I will lose my ever loving mind if I don’t.
Things get scheduled either on top of each other or back to back - and that makes this momma a bit batty, so I have to make myself sit down to determine if there are things that we aren’t going to participate in. Usually, at the end of school, there’s not much that is exactly optional, so sticking with my yeses and no's is the best decision for us to make it to the end of the school without a total Momma Meltdown.
May also seems to come with a lot of expenses, so I try - for peace of mind - to spread them out over the first half and last half of the month. We have field trips, school supplies, lunch accounts, tuition, sports registration, camp registration, vacation deposits and so on and so on. Writing it all down and essentially scheduling those payments relieves some of that feeling like we are spending all of our money at once.
Get Prepared for Summer
Make a list of three projects you want to get done before school let’s out. Cleaning out closets? Yard work? Reorganizing the pantry? What do you need to mark off your list before the kids get out of school so you have a smoother summer?
One of my things actually is to get beach towels, bathing suits and pool gear. This is something I usually wait on and we end up having to grab a new suit on the way to a pool party. Mom of the year award right here, y'all!
I've also been making a running list of fun stuff to do this summer! Not all big things - in fact, most probably aren't big things - but as I think of them, I write them down in the back of my planner. It keeps my mind uncluttered and the excitement for the summer growing.
Create Family Time
One of the only things that keeps this Momma from losing her mind is staying grounded with family time. We typically do Sunday Night Dinners all together, but in May this is nearly impossible for us due to Jeff's schedule. So I need to figure something else out - for my santity and the well being of everyone else in our household.
Whether it's a family walk on Saturday morning, having lunch outside or if you can fit in Sunday Night dinner, finding time for family in May will be a game changer mentally! This is the time when I feel the least anxiety.
Surrender to the Crazy
Part of the problem for me is always that I try to fight the chaos. I get it in my mind that if I just say no to more things the craziness will stop. But that's not true. In fact, that only puts more guilt on my heart and ends up being less fun for my kids.
So my advice to myself this year is to let it be what it is. To not just close my eyes and wait for May to be over and the summer to arrive, but to actually enjoy the chaos for this month knowing it is only temporary and will be over all to soon.
I wonder if this would make Summer feel more like a reward than an expectation?
We CAN finish strong, y'all! We CAN end the school year on a high note instead of weary and exhausted. We CAN laugh when things get insane, smile when we forget the field trip and get Chick Fil A when dinner seems overwhelming.
It's all about grace and fun this month!
Now, let's do this!