Anytime…

By: Samantha S. Daviss

It has taken me this side of 40 years, my entire life, to finally figure out my favorite time of year. I have my favorite seasons, and it is definitely not summer; autumn is actually my favorite season. But I guess I have to say summer is my favorite time of year.

Most people like the holidays with Thanksgiving and Christmas, but sometimes those to me feel a little forced. For some reason there are too many emotions wrapped up in the holidays. There’s the feeling that if you don’t go visit family then someone gets upset, or if you have lost family then that is typically the time that you miss them the most, or just the obligatory need to perform and offer massive amounts of gifts and food, and by the time January rolls around you are exhausted and broke. I enjoy the holidays, but summer is my favorite time of year.

I get to spend a little extra time with my kids around the pool or at the lake, take a well-deserved vacation, and not have to worry about homework or after school activities. This summer has probably been my most favorite summer ever. We are building our forever home, we have been at the pool and lake almost every day, and we have been able to spend tons of time with friends.

The first few weeks of the summer was great, then as time has gone on I can see the order slowly drift away and the chaos has rapidly taken over like a fungus. I know it’s time for school to start back when on our most recent road trip, I was threatening my boys with every inch of their lives with a skinny (bent) plastic bat that had been shoved under one of the seats in my car. I can honestly say, teachers are not paid nearly enough.

My house went from organized chaos from the school year to just an inconsonant madhouse. I’ve never claimed my house to be a calm and completely organized environment, how could it be with three boys, a husband, 2 dogs, and a rabbit? So over the summer I have learned that what I am truly best at in life…and that is driving my car at any hour of the day or night, picking up clothes, and putting away toys.

My house this summer looks like a field of land mines. You walk into our living room, my bedroom, down the hallway, and into each bedroom and there are about 4 pairs of socks balled up on the floor that look like little land mines, so be careful where you step. Because that extra 5 feet was too far to walk and throw them in the hamper. It’s ok, I get it.

You want to leave an ice cream sandwich wrapper on our leather couch, sure no problem, I’ll pick that up.

Oh you want to stay up until 2am watching TV and sleep until 3pm the next afternoon, no problem sweetie, I am here at your beckon call.

The clean clothes I washed and set in your bedroom, oh, please go ahead and throw those on the floor too, I absolutely love standing in the laundry room for hours on end folding your clothes.

A work meeting, yes please text me in the middle of that so my boss hears my phone rattle and I will immediately jump up, run out and whisk you away to whichever friend you plan on meeting up with today.

There is absolutely no need to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Please make sure you leave them out on the wood coffee table so maybe it will stick to the surface or slide them under the couch so in a couple weeks it will leave a wonderful odor in our house.

Wet swim suits are welcome on any surface. I especially love it when you guys lay them on my wood furniture. I love spending hours with my lemon oil trying to bring the life back into my furniture instead of sleeping at night.

But mainly I am so happy and thrilled with the idea that your dad and I finally decided to put a revolving door on our bedroom. We love it when everyone is in our room 24/7. And more importantly I love getting out of the shower to guess how large my audience will be this time.

Ahh yes, summer is a magical time of year. I get to spend time with my kids and really work on my driving skills and my cleaning abilities.