So yesterday I posted about how utterly relieved I am that school is starting soon. I still feel that way. Definitely. But I have another problem that public education is not going to solve for me. I touched on it briefly yesterday but I actually pondered this dilemma in detail while lying in bed last night (after watching “The Nanny” reruns, of course).

I’m getting rid of one. Sure. But what in the heck am I supposed to do with the other one?

School bus shows up and whisks my first grader away…like magic. Poof. She’s gone, under someone else’s tutelage for almost 7 hours. But I’m still left with the other one. See? I have to actually italicize the word, it’s so powerful.

I’ve been asking everyone I come into contact with, what do I do with the little guy? How do I keep him busy for 7 hours? Now, granted…as long as the stars are aligned and Santa reads my Christmas list…Jack SHOULD be taking a 2-3 hour nap every afternoon so that kills almost a third of my time alone with him. But what about the rest of the day, say, between 7:30a.m. and 1:00p.m.?

I shared my concerns with my husband the other day. These are his suggestions. “Take him to the park. He loves to play at the park. You should maybe take him on some walks or riding his scooter. He loves that.” I sat there, listening to his suggestions, outwardly agreeing with him but inwardly saying “Oh, yeah. Right. I’ll get right on that.”

You see, the problem is…confession time here…I’m not one of those “fun” moms. You know the type. Let me try and define it for you.

Fun Moms: Task-oriented maternal figure with an ultimate goal to provide both an educational and enjoyable experience for her children despite any discomfort or inconvenience to her day.

Me: The exact opposite.

Fun moms are the ones sitting in the middle of the mall at the kiddie play center watching, with pure delight written all over their perky faces, as their children socially interact with other children. Or, they’re the ones who schedule weekly sessions at the make-your-own pottery place focusing on enhancing their child’s creative tendencies.

They are not typically the ones feigning a “vision-debilitating headache” to avoid playing Barbie or Transformers. Or the ones who take their kids to Chuck E. Cheese because they can spend a blissful 75 minutes gossiping with their friends while ignoring the screams of 200 miscellaneous children and relying too much on the Kid Check Program to keep their kids safely inside the building.

Disclaimer: Sometimes I get a wild hair and morph into a fun mom…play makeover with Avery or build towers with Jack. However, these rare and unique occurrences are too far and few between to rely on with any amount of certainty that they will take place recurrently.

So, what do I do with a highly energized little man who will be demanding my every spare second?

I haven’t figured it out yet but I’m quickly running out of time. I guess there’s always Chuck E. Cheese. Did you know they serve beer there?

Love to all, Mindy