The Perpetual Parenthood of Summer.

The title of today’s blog is way more poetic than the entry is going to be, because holy crap I’ve been doing nonstop parenthood with a four-year-old since he finished preschool last week and I’m completely exhausted.  It’s been one week and I’m already at the end of my energy levels.

He’s a big boy now.  His energy levels are seemingly limitless.  I’ll go to a playground with him for 3-4 hours, I’ll arrange a playdate that lasts a similar amount of time, I’ll drag him from shop to shop in the hopes of wearing him down just a little.  But every single time we come home, he bounces into the house, turns to me and says, “What are we going to do now, Daddy?”

It’s been one week.  ONE WEEK.  He’s been out of preschool for one week and I’ve already reached the limits of my enthusiasm and energy.  Summer vacation isn’t over until September.  I’ve got a lot more weeks of this, and right now that has me questioning whether or not I can do this…

…which, now that I think about it, gets me energized.

I just have to change my perspective.  I have to think of this as a new workout.  When you start a new routine, your body isn’t accustomed to the muscles being worked.  There’s intense soreness.  There’s severe sweating and fatigue.  There’s that moment where you find yourself heaving for breath, begging for relief, wondering if you thought this new routine was the right choice, and worried that you may have actually hurt yourself or made things worse.  But that’s the breakthrough moment.  That’s the turning point where your body is going to become accustomed to this, where it will begin to crave more and show the results of your dedication.  Muscles have to be broken down so they can rebuild into a stronger version of themselves.  That’s what this summer vacation routine is: the breakdown of old, outdated muscle for the reconstruction of new and improved endurance.

Bring it, summer vacation.  Bring it, son with boundless energy.  This moment is the turning point.  I’ll make this work, and I’ll come out stronger as a man and a father.

 

 

…okay, so today’s blog ended up being a little poetic after all.