This summer we also took down the shutters and refinished them. It was years overdue. The dark green had turned into a gross yellowish, brownish, green. Last year, we painted Monster's ceiling. Just the ceiling. For the most part, the kids let us work, but there were a lot, and I mean a lot, of interruptions. We were prepared for that when we started our shutter project. Again, they were perfect. Not only did they let us get the work done, but they helped! So, they may not have helped of their own free will (at least Monster didn't, Sunshine begged us to let her help) but they didn't complain about helping when we asked them. Like most projects, it wasn't just as cut and dry as taking the shutters down and simply refinishing them. It lead to a whole other project of taking out the kids' windows, cleaning the windows and cleaning the tracks and then rinsing down the siding. Extra work took extra time, and we had it. There were no demands put on us. We didn't have interruptions. We didn't need to take breaks. The kids were perfect.
There have been so many moments like the zoo trip or the shutter project this summer. That's part of what is making this summer so amazing. I feel like, for the first time in 8 years, we are all truly enjoying ourselves. It's not that Husband and I didn't enjoy ourselves before, but now, we don't have to constantly be trying to meet a need. The kids are pretty much old enough to meet their own needs. They work it out. They problem solve. They explore. They live. Now, this does not, by any means, mean all I do is sit back and relax. They fight, I break it up. They need help, I work through it with them. Yesterday, I posted that I'm living my life with my kids. Well, these are the perfect ages because they are also living their lives with me. They haven't shut me out yet. The sweet spot. The perfect ages. I am making the most of each moment.