Summer has been insane. It started from the first week and just kept getting busier, more un-balanced and chaotic.  I felt that every moment I was rushing from one thing to the next with barely anytime to sit back and enjoy a moment.

We “forgot” we loved to bake. We “forgot” how to sit together at dinner (and honestly, with our hoards of guests, there was hardly room to do this)

We “forgot” that we all actually really, truly do like each other.

We “forgot” to play.

I asked myself day after day, we after week, “Why can’t we all just get along”?

Now, 2 days into being guest free with nothing else “descending” on our home for the rest of the summer, we are remembering.

We “summer cleaned” the house.  Piles of laundry, re-organizing toys from the many guest that played with them, putting the kitchen “back in order”

And we slowed down. We did mundane things that we had been putting off, but that really (really) needed to be done. We let the chickens out to play.

And we baked.

Actually, more than that. We took time to pick blackberries, and then we took time to let the KIDS bake (which is WAY different than mom baking) We all gave a hand in mixing and scooping and licking.

And then we played.  We made train tracks, pet shops and even set up the monopoly game with the intention of teaching the little dude to play.

We did things that all summer long we didn’t have the patience or the time to do.

We had, for the first time this summer, a holiday-day. A slowed down, nothing urgent, take our time and be spontaneous kind of day.

We rushed no where today. We rushed no “thing” either.

It is the kind of day you didn’t realize you were missing until you did it again.

And despite 6 weeks of fights and arguments and rivalry, I was able to realize that yes, my children DO get along.

Yes, our family IS ok.