Summer is coming

Sprout has 1 more day of school left and she's ready, but not ready.  Summers can be hard on only kids that live in the country.  It's easier since she's in 4H there are still meetings and livestock to work.  We have a couple of part time nannies that will be working livestock with her and she will be going to a daycare occasionally.  This year she will be swimming several evenings a week as well as 4H camp and volleyball day camp.  Her schedule is full, but not too full.  We have a pool and she gets breaks in training for them all to swim and play.  I'm a bit worried there's too much scheduled at this point.  I like for summers to be more relaxed and let her actually play since the school year is usually so hectic for her.  We are blessed to be able to afford the nannies and for her to be at home since I can't be. 

Part of the reason I still work is simply that farming is expensive and we can't afford a house payment and ground payment to expand the farm.  God is blessing us and we are quickly paying off the house and we are truly grateful, but it does come with trade offs.  Also we currently send Sprout to a private christian school.  FarmBoy and I want her to have a strong faith foundation before we move her to public school.  We have a timeline for that and so far she's okay with it. 

Summer is always my most guilty time as a working mother and I struggle so hard with it.  I know it's just not possible right now, but it's still hard that someone else gets to play with her and I don't.  I do have quite a bit of vacation, but here's how most of it is used.  One week is taken off for fair.  It's too exhausting not to take the whole week.  Two weeks are taken at Christmas.  It's hard to find a sitter for this time of the year and Sprout really like me being home to bake cookies and watch Christmas movies, etc.  I love decorating our house and she usually has friends sleep over for a night.  That leaves a few days for sickness, etc.  I work from 7 am to 4 pm as my regular schedule so that I can get to school activities but I won't change this summer because swimming.  It's hard to get up and get moving that earlier, but it's so worth it in the end to be home early.