Have You Seen My Summer Groove?

You would be hard pressed to say it was summer around here. It feels more like March - cool temps, gray skies and more rain than I would like to see at the end of May.

Having completed her third year of even law school Dakota is home in time for dinner each night but so far, we have failed to find the groove and our routines are sadly lacking. It's frustrating for all of us and has me dreaming of hotels in las vegas, or maybe Disneyland, for an escape. The kids are having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Dakota will be home for dinner every night - each morning they drill me asking if she will be home or does she have to go to school. I assure them she will be home. I think if they had their summer groove going, this adjustment would be going much more smoothly. We're going to try out a new plan tonight whereby Dakota comes home and for the first 15 minutes she will focus solely on the kids and hear what they have to share with her. Then she will change into non-work clothes and we will get to work on dinner. After dinner, while I clean up and get the house ready for the evening (pick up toys, straighten things up, sweep and mop the kitchen (which has gone by the wayside lately because there just isn't time in the evenings) and run the vacuum) Dakota will play with the kids (hopefully outside, if the sun ever decides to shines!). Then it will be bath, stories and bed. Hopefully by giving the kids more of Dakota's time and attention we can find out groove and get about the business of enjoying the next couple of months - you know, before we throw it all for a loop again when Dakota starts back for her final year.

Let's hope we can figure this out soon - for everyone's sanity.