The summer of "Hurry Up"

Ok, I've totally been lacking at blog writing...and I've needed it, yet I've ignored it.
My excuse...I've been busy.

This has been a summer of exciting new adventures for me. I've been hired as a communications director at a local church, I'm the director of my home church's VBS, I'm still working an advertising/freelance job at a local office, I'm trying to spend quality summer time/fun time with the kiddos (who are getting too big, too fast), I'm trying to keep the house in a somewhat decent, non-stinky condition (hard with 3 kids, a dog and a husband who can never find his belt), and I'm trying to find time to ride my bike (the one thing I do all for myself).

Lately I've noticed that this is becoming the summer of "Hurry Up" for me...I think I end or begin every sentence with "hurry up."
"hurry up and get dressed before the babysitter gets here."
"Emma, please hurry up, we're going to be late."
"hurry up and pee before we have to go."
"Joey, we'll tie your shoes in the car, just hurry up."
"hurry up and get ready for bed Kemp, we've got to get up early tomorrow."
"If you want to go to the pool, hurry up! We don't have much time."
"hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry."
Ugh! I sound like a broken record.

Luckily I noticed about a week ago, that these words are coming out of my mouth way to often.
I'm a laid back person...I take things in stride. NORMALLY. But not this summer.

I feel like the whole summer has passed before my very eyes and I've stood in the background watching it pass...Not really a part of it, just watching it. And that makes me sad.

A few days ago, I had about 40 more hours of work to fit into 4 hours, but when I got home from 1 job and saw that the kids were curled up on the couch looking like they were bored out of their minds I decided today was the day that my attitude was changing. The kids come first...where/when did they get pushed to second and third behind work and housework. I packed them up and we went to the park. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it wasn't took hot. I laid in the grass and watched them be kids for more than 3 hours. They ran, climbed, swam, went down slides, played on the seesaws...it was great!

This might have started out being the summer of "hurry up" but it's going to end by being a relaxing fun summer. Yeah, we might not go away on vacation, but we have discovered geocaching! It's free and it's fun!  The last few weekends of the summer are going to be spent with family and friends, not a computer screen.