Dog Days of Summer For Parents

I wish I were a dog. No, really!

If I were a dog, I could lie around and sleep all day, have several meals served to me by doting people who love me, play when I’m in the mood, and… well, that’s about it.

Instead, my days consist of getting up at the crack of dawn in order to get some work done before the kids get up, followed by dragging them out of bed and trying to get them to “do something.” Anything. (Other than watch television, that is; if left to their own accord, they’d be like vegetables before the end of one week… vegetables who can quote George Lopez verbatim but can’t remember how to spell their own names.)

After school being out for two months already, the pool (now mostly empty) is the temperature of a hot tub, we’ve seen several movies, they’ve gone roller skating, have had friends over, and have done all the rest of the things kids do during summer break. I, on the other hand, have done very little that adults like to do, as there is no money (or energy) left after paying for the aforementioned activities and more.

They’re done. We’re ALL done. Even the cats are bored; I swear they rolled their eyes at me this morning when I opened the door to the screened porch and suggested they go scare some birds. Sure, there’s Girl Scout camp next week, several more parties and play dates, people coming from out of town to visit. But in the end, all of us are ready for back to school time.

But there’s still a month to go.

Sigh. I think I’ll go next door and hang out with the neighbor’s dog.