Cheryl Perry

As parents we’re supposed to be superhuman – always have the right answers. Never let them see you squirm. Never let them see you fight. Never let them see you cry. Never let them see you’re scared.

Are you able to do that? I’m not.

I’m constantly telling my kids, “I’m not sure.” On more than one occasion I’ve let them hear me yell at their dad. I’ve been known to shed a tear or two out of complete frustration because they just. won’t. listen. And I can say without a doubt that they know what my biggest fear is.

Ahem, here it goes:

OK, July 4th is behind us now, and after daily pool trips with the four kids (plus a beach trip), I’m fried – literally. This is about how I feel at the end of the day (sans the drink and cucumbers because life would be too good with those additions):

(By the way, I feel like I’ve aged 20 years in the last month from sun damage. I apply sunscreen with at least 70 SPF – if not higher – every day AND wear a hat but I still manage to add dark spots and a leathery tan. What’s a girl to do?)

Since we’ve gone to the pool almost everyday this summer – at least for part of the day – you’d think my kids would be D-O-N-E with the pool, but they’re not. To keep my sanity with daily pool trips, I’ve had to pare things down.

And to protect my sanity, I’ve had to come up with some promises to myself (and to the kids) when I just can’t. take. another. pool. day. Hope you find these “tips” useful:

Do you have a husband who travels sometimes for work? I do. He’s traveled periodically ever since my first was born. Especially the first few years, when he was away, the days as a stay-at-home mom were long with a couple of babies, and I always felt like my responsibilities were never ending – the dinner, baths and bed routine was especially tiring solo (and still is quite honestly).

It’s still not fun when he’s gone, but let’s be honest. Sometimes it is nice to have control of the remote once the kids are down.

It hits you like a cold slap in the face at the beginning of May, progresses with a series of bullhorns, team chants, and bug spray applications on a sticky Charlotte night (with a few prayers to the weather gods to hold off thunder just this once so we can just get things over with), then ends right as summer really gets going.

Our summer swim team season is over.

I mean, I’m still trying to scrub off the scribbled “Eat My Bubbles” tattoo on the kids’ back from the first meet, and now it’s all behind us.

But I can honestly say it was a blast.

It never fails – every year I can’t wait for the end of the school year so I can stop packing lunches. Then, around Day #3 of the pool, I am tired of trying to think of lunch or dinner ideas that everyone will like and will transport in a cooler for the pool.

This summer I need some new (somewhat healthy) meal ideas for swim meets and long days at the pool, and I am guessing you do, too. Here are some of my finds:

So I’m sitting at our neighborhood pool as summer was winding down last August, and one of my neighbors (whom I really didn’t know that well) comes up to me and asks if I want to be a part of their carpool. One family had graduated to middle school so there was room, she said.

I hesitated because I had two kids going to elementary school, and I knew their carpool had a lot of families – I wouldn’t be able to pull my weight because I couldn’t physically get everyone in my car when I had the two little ones with me (just another reason why I need to invest in a good church van).

No problem, she said. They would just take my kids, and I shouldn’t worry about it.

What? Seriously?!

My little boys’ preschool is out for the summer but the big kids are still in school – how am I going to entertain them over the next couple of weeks? The pool isn’t open during the day yet, and I don’t want to spend a ton of money on activities for the little ones because as soon as summer gets really started my wallet will be empty doing activities for the whole family. This is my chance to do some fun (cheap!) stuff just for the little ones – plus they are so easy to entertain (give them a few ducks to look at and a slide and we can easily kill an hour – love it!).

Here’s what’s on my list:

My baby turns 2 this summer, and do you know what that means for me?

POTTY TRAINING.

Can you hear me beating my head on the counter from where you are?

You’d think by my 4^th child I would have this thing down pat. Well, confession time: I don’t. I am an epic failure when it comes to potty training. I hate it. Despise it. Vehemently dislike it. Wholeheartedly loathe it. (I could go on, but I don’t have a thesaurus nearby.)

Here’s why:

Congratulations to Jenny – winner of the Britax B-Safe infant car seat!

We asked readers to give us their best piece of parenting advice to new moms – we got tons of great advice from all of our Smarties!

Our winner, Jenny, wrote:

Listen to your motherly instinct. You know your child best! What am I talking about… we have no children but we are due in November:) Love this car seat!

We love your honesty, Jenny, and even though you say you don’t know what you’re talking about, that one piece of advice will actually take you very far!

Motherhood: the days are long, but the years are short.

I think about that quote so often when it’s 3:30 pm and I’m faced with an evening of homework, dinner, baths, and bedtime and a husband who travels. It helps me appreciate the little moments and know that this, too, shall pass. Quickly.

I try very hard to live in the moment – I hate dwelling on the past because it either makes me sad that my older kids aren’t babies anymore or it makes me feel way too old. Plus, I am a realist – my days are not always blissful – I’ve got four young kids who are often nagging or needing me and I don’t want to look back on these years wishing for them and forgetting just how hard they were (plus no one can tell me the newborn phase is easy. It just isn’t).

But there are some moments in motherhood that will just plain take your breath away.